Sneaking Around
by TakerTakeMe
Summary: I just love Stephanie and Chris together... Sigh...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Chris, when are you coming home?" his wife whined into the phone.

"It'll just be a few more weeks, honey," Chris Irvine said in a low voice into his cell phone. He softly moved a few strands of hair from the woman's face who was lying next to him and smiled. God, she was beautiful.

"Ok," his wife said sadly. "You know, you used to come home more. Now, things are different."

"I know. It's just that now I'm a top superstar around here," he said, trying to make her understand. "This place can't function without me."

"_I_ can't function without you," she said. "I mean, I'm raising our son alone."

"Well, what do you want me to do, bring you guys on the road with me?" he asked, getting a little upset. He didn't want to raise his voice because he didn't want to wake up the sleeping beauty beside him, but his wife was starting to piss him off. He didn't know why she was starting to piss him off so much lately. Sometimes just the sound of her voice over the phone and the constant _whining_ just got on his last nerve!

"I wouldn't mind that," she said, sounding a bit excited. "At least we'd be together. At least we'd be a family."

What? She expected him to _actually_ take them on the road with him? He'd only been kidding!

"I'm not really crazy about that idea," he said, trying to maintain his low tone.

"Then why the hell did you suggest it?" she exclaimed.

"I wasn't-" he started but she cut him off.

"That's just like you, Chris. Get my hopes up and then shatter them, all in the space of five minutes," she said. She sighed. "I should be used to it by now."

He felt bad, he really did, as he detected the sadness and disappointment in her voice. But not bad enough to change his mind. "I'm sorry, baby," he said. He looked down at the woman lying next to him and sighed, stroking her hair. She smiled and slowly opened her eyes to gaze up at him. "I have to go."

"So soon?" She sighed again and her voice caught in her throat. He knew that she was starting to cry. "I love you, Chris. And I can't wait until these next few weeks are up."

"I..." He struggled to say the three words he knew she deserved to hear, wanted to hear. Those three words he just couldn't bring himself to say. "I... I'll see you in a few weeks." Then he quickly hung up the cell phone and turned it off.

He didn't know why he was putting his wife through so much pain. He couldn't help it. He loved her, sure, but there was someone else that he just couldn't stay away from.

Stephanie McMahon-Levesque looked up at Chris with sleepy eyes. "Was that your wife?" she asked him, yawning.

"Yeah," he said, leaning down to give her a kiss. "She's mad at me."

"As usual," she said, kissing him back. "I'd be mad at you, too, if I was in her position."

"Are you taking her side?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow so he could study her face.

"No, I'm not taking her side," she replied. "I'm just saying, I don't know how she puts up with you being gone away for so long. If I was her I'd go crazy with the need to be with you..."

He looked down into her eyes. "Trust me, if I was married to you, I'd never act this way."

She matched his heated gaze head on. "How do you know?" she wondered.

"Because... I love you too much," he answered honestly. "I can't stand to be away from you as it is."

"Maybe you just love the idea of sneaking around," she suggested, getting up so she could get ready to leave. It was past two in the morning and she knew Paul would be wondering where she was. She couldn't use the excuse of partying with the divas for much longer.

He pulled her back into the bed. "I don't like sneaking around with you, Stephanie, just for the sake of sneaking around. I like sneaking around with you because I _love_ you." He kissed her softly, then let her go.

"I love you, too, Chris," she replied, gazing at him as she got up for the second time so she could get ready to leave. "But, unlike you, I have to get back to my spouse. He's only a few floors away and he could totally kick my ass. Your wife can't."

"If he puts his hands on you I'll kill him," he said venomously. He was serious.

"Relax, Chris," she said, leaning down to stroke his face tenderly. She finished putting her clothes on as she talked. "Paul would never physically hurt me. I'm the Billion Dollar Princess, remember?"

"Yeah," he said, watching her get dressed. How he wanted to slowly undress her and make love to her all over again!

She leaned down to kiss him as he lied there in the bed, covered to the waist with only a sheet. The image of him lying there made her want to slide into the bed with him again, but she knew she really should get back to her shared hotel suite with her husband. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" She looked at the clock next to the bed. "Actually, I'll see you later on today," she corrected herself.

He kissed her back with as much passion as he could put into one kiss, then pulled back. "You better go," he said huskily.

"Good night, Chris," she said, then slipped out of his hotel room and softly shut the door.

"Good night," he said softly as the door closed. Then he looked up at the ceiling and thought about his life.

What was he doing? What was he thinking? Why was he cheating on his wife, the love of his life? And why was he cheating with Stephanie, of all people? He had always said that he would never cheat on his wife, would never have an affair or sleep around with any of the ever-present ring rats. At least he'd kept one part of his little promise. He resisted ring rats with ease. They were so pathetic!

But then there was Stephanie... He found her simply irresistible. Everything about her, he loved...

He looked at the clock, which read 2:48 A.M. He closed his eyes, knowing that he had to get at least a few hours of sleep. The next night he would have a match against John Cena and he knew he would need to be well-rested for that. He fell into a fitful sleep with Stephanie on his mind...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Stephanie slipped quietly into the hotel suite and closed the door behind her softly. She didn't want to wake Paul up. She just wanted to get in there next to him in the bed unnoticed so she wouldn't have to face another interrogation.

No such luck.

"Stephanie? You've finally decided to grace me with your presence," Paul Levesque said in ominous tones.

Stephanie looked over and just barely made out his muscular form sitting over on the couch in the dark. She flipped on a dim light and looked at him wearing an expression similar to that of a deer caught in the headlights. He had his arms folded and he looked angry.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked her calmly.

"I've been out with the girls," she answered. It was always the same excuse. She really needed to think of a better one sometime soon.

"Don't lie to me," he said. "I've talked to all the girls, and none of them have seen you since we were at the arena."

"Are you sure?" she asked in a desperate voice.

"I'm positive. Sit," he ordered, patting the space next to him on the couch. "Now."

"I'm just fine standing up," she said, trying to choose her words carefully.

"Sit," he said again.

"I'd really prefer to stand up," she stated quietly, looking down at her shoes.

"I didn't ask you," he said, standing up quickly and physically forcing her to sit. He sat down next to her. "I don't understand you, baby. First you stay out all night. Then you lie to me about who you've been hanging out with. And now you don't even want to sit down next to me."

"It's not like that, Paul," she said.

"Then what's it like?" he asked, clenching his teeth. "And who have you been with tonight?"

"I haven't been with anyone," she said. "I've been by myself all night."

"Stephanie, my dear, you know I hate it when you lie to me," he said. "I'll ask you once more. Who have you been with?"

"No one!" she yelled, looking at him and quickly looking away. "Don't you have any faith in me anymore?"

"I have faith in you, but I can tell when you're lying. You can't look at me when you lie," he said. "Now this is your last chance to tell me the truth before you face the consequences for lying to me."

"I haven't been with anyone," she repeated stubbornly. She wasn't going to tell him that she'd been with Chris.

"Your choice," he said shortly.

"Please, no," she pleaded in a low voice. She knew what he was going to do. And she dreaded it.

He drew his hand back and slapped her hard across the face. He grabbed a handful of her long hair and forced her to look at him. "Care to tell me the truth now?" he asked.

"I _am_ telling you the truth," she whispered, bringing her hand up to touch her stinging face. "I was off at my office planning your surprise birthday party and I fell asleep at my desk."

"Oh." He looked at her and immediately an apologetic look appeared on his face. "I'm sorry, baby."

"It's ok," she mumbled in a low voice, even as her own hot tears blinded her.

He got up off the couch and walked around the room pulling his own hair. "What's wrong with me? You make me crazy because you're so wonderful. I just keep wondering what I did that made God decide that I deserve you..." His voice trailed off as he kneeled down in front of her. "You know I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, baby. It's just that I know that so many guys want you and I always think you'd be tempted to cheat on me. I'm not the greatest catch, you know?"

"Don't say that," she said, still holding her cheek and refusing to look at him. In her mind, she agreed with him whole-heartedly. He _wasn't_ the greatest catch, not by a long shot.

"It's just so hard, baby. I feel like I don't have everything that other men have to offer you, so whenever you're not here I always think that you're with some other guy... Maybe with a guy who's better than me, or more attractive than me," he said. He took her hand in his while reaching up to touch the bruise that was already starting to form on her face. "I'm really sorry. I'll never hit you again."

"It's ok," she said again. "Could you please just get me some ice out of the refrigerator?"

He hurried over to the refrigerator and came back moments later with an icepack. He gently put it up to her face where he'd slapped her. She winced at the contact of the cold icepack on her stinging face but then relaxed a little as the ice helped to alleviate the burning pain. He kissed her face softly and after a while, he removed the icepack.

He kissed the place where he had slapped her. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, standing up and pulling her to her feet as well. "Come to bed with me and I'll make it better for you."

"I'm not really in the mood," she said. "I just want to go to sleep."

"You can't," he said. "I'd feel so bad about this and then _I_ wouldn't be able to sleep." He took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He went back to turn off the dim light, then joined her in the bedroom. "Let me make it better, Steph. Let me make love to you."

She gave a resigned sigh. There was no point in trying to argue with him. "Ok, Paul..."

He kissed her softly as he undressed her. He placed soft kisses over the place where he'd slapped her, as if his lips could magically heal the bruise. Then, after a few minutes of what he believed was foreplay, he slowly pushed into her with a low groan. She moaned softly as he started moving inside of her.

"I'll never hit you again," he promised as he glided in and out of her. He kissed her, then pulled back to look at her as he kept going. "I'll never hurt you again."

"I know," she replied. She closed her eyes and put her arms around him. Tears leaked out of her closed eyes, rolled down her face, and wet the pillow. Sure, she'd told Chris that Paul would never hurt her physically, but she had lied. This wasn't the first time he'd hit her... But maybe this time he was sincere. Maybe this time he really _wouldn't_ hit her anymore...

An hour later, she looked at the clock and listened to Paul snoring next to her. The clock read 4:11 A.M. She sighed and closed her eyes, knowing that she would need her sleep. She fell into a restless sleep and dreamed of Chris...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Paul woke up as bright light shined through the window of the hotel room he was in with his wife. He looked down at her sleeping soundly next to him. The rays of sun shined on her face, highlighting the bruise that _he_ had caused to appear on her flawless face. He felt horrible for hitting her. He kept telling himself that it was her fault. It was always her fault.

He got up and went into the bathroom after grabbing a towel. He turned the shower on and stepped inside, feeling the hot streams of water pelt his body. He loved his wife, he really did.

_But if you love her so much, why do you keep hitting her?_ an ever-present voice inside his head asked him.

"I don't know!" he said, frustrated as he started to wash.

But he knew. He felt guilty and paranoid. He was cheating on Stephanie with someone he'd met at work and he was so paranoid that maybe she was out doing the same thing. He was worried that maybe she would find out and divorce him. That was the last thing he wanted, for her to find out and divorce him. He genuinely loved his wife, and the fact that she owned a portion of the WWE had nothing to do with it. She had been so innocent and sweet when he'd met her, and she'd blossomed into a feisty little hellcat. He really did love her. But there was no way he would be able to explain why he was cheating on her with Torrie Wilson. No way...

She'd never understand.

She'd divorce him in a heartbeat.

If he thought about it, he knew that there was probably another man out there, one who would treat Stephanie a hundred times better than he was treating her. But he wasn't going to let her go.

Every single time she stayed out late, he always thought the worst, that maybe she was fooling around with another guy. And every time she got back and told him where she had been, he would hit her. Every time. He never meant to, he was just the kind of guy who spoke better with his hands than with his mouth. But he kept wondering why... If he loved her so much, why he couldn't control his temper when it came to her...

He sighed and got out of the shower. He threw a towel carelessly around his waist and walked out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth and shaving. He looked over at the bed and noticed that Stephanie wasn't there.

"Steph?" he called, walking through their suite, looking for his wife.

"I'm in here. I just ordered room service for you," Stephanie replied in a tired voice.

He walked into the front room and saw her sitting on the couch with her hand up to her cheek. "Ouch," he said, sitting beside her and looking at the big ugly bruise on her face. "Once again, I'm really sorry for that."

"Don't worry about it," she said, not looking at him.

"Like I said, it won't happen again," he promised, touching her hand. "Now... Do you have something that could cover that up? I don't want people to start wondering where that bruise came from."

"I have some makeup," she said quietly. She stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go get a shower and get ready. We have a big day ahead of us."

"Yeah, we sure do," he agreed. "Raw is tonight."

"That's right," she said, then headed into the bedroom to grab some things and then into the bathroom to take a shower.

He watched her go, feeling disappointed in himself. He was really sorry that he had jumped to conclusions and hit her that way. She didn't deserve it, not any of it.

He heard his cell phone ringing and hurried into the room to grab it. Then he hurried back out to the front room and answered it, not bothering to look at the Caller ID.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Morning, baby," Torrie Wilson said over the phone.

"What are you doing calling this early?" he demanded.

"It's eleven, baby," she said. "It's almost time for lunch. I don't think it's really all that early."

"You're right...But why are you calling?" he asked.

"I just wanted to hear your sexy voice," she whispered. "You know you're the one factor in my life that really brightens up my day."

"I know," he said in a low voice. "You brighten up my day, too."

"Where's Stephanie?" she asked suddenly.

"I thought I told you never to say her name!" he exclaimed irritably.

"I'm sorry... But where is she?" she asked again.

"In the shower," he said. "What's it to you?"

"Think you could sneak out for a few minutes undetected?" she asked, a mischievous note in her voice.

"I'm the _master_ at sneaking around," he said. "Of course I can. Let me slip on some clothes."

"Slip on some clothes?" she asked slowly. "What are you wearing right now?"

"Just a towel," he answered honestly.

"Mmmm, that sounds good. I can picture you now..." Her voice trailed off for a minute. Then, she seemed to find her voice again. "Get here fast. You know where I'm at."

"Ok, I'll be there," he agreed, then flipped his phone shut and hurried into the bedroom to slip on some clothes. Five minutes later, he slipped out of the luxury suite after scrawling a note to his wife and headed straight for Torrie's room just a few floors away.

In the elevator, he leaned against the wall and covered his face with his hands. What was he doing? The doors opened and he stepped out, bumping into a man who was on his way in.

"Oh, excuse me," both men said.

Paul realized who he had bumped into and his eyes became little angry slits. It was Chris Irvine, a man he really disliked. He didn't even know why he hated him so much, but he didn't even need an excuse. It was just natural. He stared at him with a look of pure hatred on his face until the elevator doors closed, then shook his head as if trying to clear away any thoughts of Chris from his mind. No use in ruining his day before it really started.

He knocked twice on Torrie's door. She opened the door and he quickly walked inside, shutting the door and locking it behind him. She was in his arms almost faster than he could lock the door, kissing him like she hadn't seen him in ages.

"I'm so glad you're here," she gushed. "After last night..."

"Missed me, did you?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Always," she said emphatically. She took his hand and led him to the bedroom. "Come on, we don't have long."

"We have a while. I told..._her_...I'd meet her at the arena," he said, not able to bring himself to say his wife's name while in the presence of _the other woman_.

"That's great!" she exclaimed, practically running now.

He followed her into the room, wondering again why he was doing this, knowing that he could be ruining everything with Stephanie. But then she kissed him again and all thoughts of Stephanie vanished from his mind...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Chris stood in the elevator with his hands clenched into tight fists. He had been in a generally good mood until his little run-in with Paul. He hated the man and he had let it be known as they had stared at each other with identical looks of loathing on their faces until the elevator doors had finally closed. He closed his eyes and wondered exactly what Stephanie could possibly see in the big jerk. What was the one reason that kept her with the man in the first place?

He shook his head to somehow rid his mind of the thoughts and decided to head to Stephanie's suite. He had a feeling that she was still there.

Five minutes later, after pacing back in forth in front of the suite, he tapped lightly on the door of the room. A few seconds later, Stephanie was at the door.

"Who's there?" Stephanie called from inside the suite.

God, but her voice sent chills up his spine. "It's me," he said when he was finally able to speak.

"Chris?" She opened the door quickly and pulled him into the suite, then shut and locked the door behind them. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to say good morning... And I know Paul's not here," he said, leaning against the door.

"How do you know?" she asked curiously.

"First, I know you wouldn't have let me in if he _was_ here," he said. "And second, I ran into him on the elevator."

"Oh," she said, pulling her towel closer around her as he cocked his head to the side and stared at her strangely. "Well, as you can see, I'm just out of the shower."

"That's not the only thing I see," he said, stepping closer and staring at her face.

She turned her head quickly, hoping that he hadn't seen the huge bruise on her face. Why hadn't she remembered to cover it up _before_ she'd let him come in?

"Where'd you get this bruise from?" he asked quietly, coming around to study the bruise on her face.

"Um, yeah, that," she said quickly. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing," he said. "It looks painful. What happened?"

"I was trying to be sneaky and everything this morning when I came in... I'm such a klutz that I ran right into the wall," she said, smiling at him and shrugging.

He sighed. "Stephanie, you're possibly the most graceful woman that I know. What _really_ happened to your face?" he asked.

"Look, Chris. Just drop it for now, ok?" she pleaded.

"Ok," he said, a little upset. He had a few theories forming in his head as to why she had that bruise on her face, and every single one of them had Paul as the source. He didn't want to believe his suspicions but _she_ was actually making him believe them by acting so mysterious.

"Why don't you have yourself a seat while I go and get ready? Paul left me a note telling me that he was going to the arena early. He wants me to meet him there at the arena so we should be safe here for a while," she said. She gave a sweep of her arm as she added, "Make yourself comfy. I think there are snacks over there in the fridge."

"Ok," he said again for the second time in a row. He sat down on the plush couch as she headed back into the bedroom to get ready. What she'd said about Paul hadn't made much sense to him at all. He was heading to the arena early. That meant he should should've been already going to the arena when he'd seen him earlier. Why, then, had Paul gotten off on _his_ floor? Was he going to see someone there? He racked his brains trying to think of all the other WWE superstars that had rooms on his floor, specifically the _female_ superstars there. Lita, Trish Stratus, Candace Michelle, Torrie Wilson... Could he have been going to meet one of them?

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door to the hotel room about to open. He hopped up quickly and ran into the bedroom where Stephanie was busy getting ready. "Someone's coming in! Where should I hide?" he asked, looking around for a place to hide. "The closet? Under the bed?"

"The closet, and quick!" she whispered, running out of the bedroom. "I'll stall him, I'm sure it's Paul."

Chris slipped into the dark closet and crouched down, throwing a convenient black sheet over himself that he saw folded on the top shelf of the closet. He quietly shut the closet door, and just in time.

"Paul, what are you doing back here?" Stephanie asked. "I thought you were headed to the arena."

"I forgot some stuff that I needed," Paul replied. "I just need to grab my duffle bag out of the closet."

"Shit!" Chris swore softly when he heard what Paul had returned for. "I would choose the place where he needs to come to!"

"Honey, why don't you sit down and let me get that for you?" Stephanie suggested.

"I'm kind of in a hurry, sweetheart, I'll get it," he replied, heading into the bedroom and flipping on a light.

Stephanie followed him, hanging on to his arm, trying to think of a way out of the situation. "So... Yeah..." She couldn't think of anything.

"Let me see your face," he said. He looked at her face as he opened the closet door. "I see you did a good job of covering up that bruise," he said, grabbing his bag out of the closet but keeping his eyes trained on her.

"Yeah. You know me, always running into things in the dark," she said loudly. "The least I could do was cover up a bruise that I made happen, you know?"

"Huh?" he asked, closing the closet door without once actually looking in the closet. "You don't have to take the blame for that bruise, Steph. That just makes me feel even worse about the whole thing."

In the closet, Chris bit his lip and held his breath, forcing himself not to say anything. Was Paul admitting that _he_ had caused that nasty bruise on his own wife's face?

"It's alright," she said quietly, hoping against hope that perhaps Chris wasn't listening.

"It's not alright, Stephanie. I admit it, I lost my temper last night. I slipped," Paul said. "But it'll never happen again. I know I always say that, but I really _mean_ it this time. It won't happen again."

"Don't worry about it," she said, closing her eyes and wondering what exactly she was going to say to Chris when Paul left.

"Ok, babe, I'll meet you down at the arena. You do have a way to get there, right?" he asked, leaning down to give her a brief kiss.

"Yes, I have a way. I can catch a ride with someone," she told him, her hand on one muscular arm. "And if push comes to shove, I could always call a cab or a limo."

"Ok. Take your time getting there, there's no rush," he said as he stepped out the door with his duffle bag on his shoulder.

"Alright, Paul," she said. She watched him walk down the hall and slip into the elevator, then shut the door and locked it behind her. She leaned heavily against the door, needing the door's support. "Chris, you can come out now."

Chris tried his hardest to keep his cool as he stepped out of the closet and made his way to Stephanie, who was leaning against the front door.

"So my suspicions were correct," he said sadly as he observed the bruise on her face. "That bastard hit you."

"It was an accident, Chris. He didn't mean it," she whispered.

"It doesn't sound like it was an accident," he said in a calm voice. His stormy eyes betrayed what his was feeling inside. "From what I heard him say, it sounds like that wasn't the first time it happened, either."

"He never meant to hit me," she said meekly.

"Why are you defending him?" he exploded, his voice steadily rising. "Why are you defending that...that ass...when he put this big bruise on your beautiful face?"

Tears started to form in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She didn't want to have to redo her makeup. "Look, he didn't mean to hit me, ok? Let's not talk about it."

"Ok," he said, deciding that she had been hurting enough. He wasn't going to add to her pain and sadness. "But sometime soon, we're going to have to talk about it. You can't stay in an abusive relationship. I won't allow it," he whispered, pulling her into his arms.

She hugged him fiercely. "What, are you my daddy now?" she asked in a small voice, closing her eyes and forcing the tears not to come.

"I'm not trying to be your daddy, but I _do_ care about you," he said. "I love you, and I'm not going to let this..." He softly touched her bruise. "...happen again."

"I love you, Chris," she whispered as she hugged him, never wanting to let go.

"I love you, too, Stephanie," he whispered back, leaning down to kiss her. Then he hugged her again. As she clung tightly to him, he rested his chin on her head and looked into nothingness. He was pissed again. He knew he had many reasons to hate Paul Levesque, but this had to be the biggest one. The man had actually hit Stephanie, and he had been hitting her for quite some time. What was wrong with him? Didn't he realized what he had? What he was ruining?

His expression changed to one of sheer resolve and determination as he made up his mind about what he was going to do.

He was going to kick Paul's ass.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Paul stood in the elevator and headed up to Torrie's room for the second time in twenty minutes. How had he let himself forget the condoms? There was no way he was going to sleep with anyone besides his wife without a condom. He at least owed her that much. Besides, he wasn't looking to be getting any females pregnant any time soon, not even Stephanie. He wasn't even sure if he wanted children.

He stepped out of the elevator and found himself face to face with none other than Trish Stratus. He looked down at her and she looked up at him. Lots of cleavage was showing. Her breasts looked more than ready to just spring out of her tight little shirt. He smiled approvingly at her.

"Morning, Trish," he said in a low voice. "Nice outfit you're wearing today."

"Thanks," she replied in a low and seductive voice. "You're coming to see me, right?" she went on, twirling her hair around her finger.

"Actually, I'm looking for John Cena's room," he lied quickly. "Do you know if it's on this floor or not?"

"No," she said, disappointed. "But I could help you look."

"No, that's ok," he replied, turning her down. "I don't think us looking for John Cena's room _together_ would sit too well with my wife." Once again, he couldn't bring himself to say her name while talking to another woman. "It wouldn't look so innocent, you know?"

She laughed coyly. "It wouldn't _be_ so innocent, either," she said. She ran her hand across his muscular chest, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles beneath her hand. Her hand traveled down lower to the front of his pants, gently squeezing his suddenly painful erection. "You know?"

It took everything he had in him to pull away from her gentle, teasing touch. "You're a vixen, Trish Stratus," he said with a smile. "But unfortunately, today I'm going to have to turn you down."

She shrugged. "Your loss. But maybe one of these days you'll come to your senses," she said, heading for the elevator.

He grabbed her butt and she squealed. "And when I _do_ come to my senses, you better be ready," he warned her as she disappeared into the elevator and the doors closed. He hadn't been able to resist touching her just once. However, he was proud that he hadn't given in and taken her up on her offer. If he was going to cheat on his wife, the least he could do was cheat on her with just _one woman at a time_.

_I'll take Trish up on her offer whenever I decide to break things off with Torrie_, he thought as he headed to Torrie's room. From his little confrontation with Trish, he knew inside that "whenever" was going to be sometime in the very near future...

He slipped discreetly into Torrie's room, hoping that no one had seen him. Then he headed back to the bedroom where he knew she would be waiting impatiently for him.

"Was it really necessary for you to go all the way back up to your suite for condoms?" she asked him, lying on the bed with her legs spread, anxiously waiting for him to enter her.

"Yes," he said shortly as he quickly undressed.

"You act like I have some kind of STD," she said angrily.

"I know you don't," he said, carefully pulling a condom on over his now-throbbing erection. "But I don't want any kids."

"I'm on birth control," she reminded him for what had to be the millionth time.

"I don't think we should take unnecessary risks," he said simply, lowering his body over hers and plunging deep inside of her while kissing her at the same time.

She wrapped her legs around him and moved to meet his rough thrusts. "No kids? I've always wanted children," she told him.

"Well I never have," he replied, biting his lip in concentration as he stroked deep. "And I don't think I ever will..."

About an hour and a half later, he entered the arena where Raw is War was scheduled to be held later that day with a smile on his face. His love-making experiences with Torrie always left him with a smile on his face, as did his experiences with his wife. At the thought of his wife, his smile slowly evaporated, only to be replaced by a thin, straight line. Now he was feeling guilty. But then he thought of Torrie again and the smile reappeared.

What was his problem? He didn't know and couldn't even begin to try to answer the question.

Shaking his head, he headed to Stephanie's office, where he knew that she would be. Finding the office, he opened the door and walked in...only to find a scene that he immediately didn't like. Stephanie was sitting at her desk with papers spread out all around her. That was usual. What was unusual, and what he didn't like, was the fact that Chris Irvine was seated directly across from her in a chair, lounging there and talking animatedly like the two of them were old friends or something.

"Ahem." Paul cleared his throat to bring a little attention to himself.

"Paul, I see you finally made it here," Stephanie said to him, looking up at him from her seat behind her desk.

"Yeah, I'm here," he replied, walking over to her and kissing her on the lips. He wanted so badly to ask what the hell Chris was doing in her office but he decided to save that question for later and pretended not to notice that they weren't alone in the room.

"Honey, don't you see Chris over there?" she asked, nodding her head at Chris. "Aren't you going to speak?"

"Chris," he said grudgingly, not looking at him.

"Paul," Chris said back in a flat tone, not bothering to get up from his seat in the chair across the desk from Stephanie. "Now back to what we were talking about, Stephanie," he went on. "This new storyline that I'm supposed to be in..."

Paul relaxed a little. So he didn't need to ask what the hell Chris was doing in the room. Chris had just answered his unasked question for him. They were discussing a new storyline...

"I don't really know who came up with the idea of putting you and me together in a storyline," Stephanie said to Chris, passing him a script. "But I think it's going to be kind of weird to be doing this kind of storyline with someone I've never had romantic feelings for."

"I know, right?" Chris replied with a slight smile. His smile grew wider as Paul looked from him to Stephanie in disbelief, then grabbed a script. "Something wrong?" he asked as Paul quickly looked over the script, eyes growing wide as he scanned the page.

"What the hell is this!" Paul exclaimed when he had finished looking at the script. He looked at Stephanie. "Who the hell wrote this crap?"

Stephanie looked over at Chris, knowing that Paul was in one of his moods and would soon be dragging her like a rag doll if she didn't explain quickly. "Um, Chris, maybe we should finish discussing this later," she said softly, hoping that Chris wouldn't argue with what she'd said.

"Sure," he agreed. But he didn't move from his chair. "I'll just wait until you guys are done and then we can finish talking."

"I think that means that you should leave," Paul said, turning to look at Chris.

"Nah, I think I'll stay," Chris replied, getting comfortable in his chair. "I want to know who the hell wrote this crap as well, knowing that it would start problems between you and me. I mean, that was pure idiocy when it comes to the creative writing team, don't you think so, Paul?"

Paul looked at him wondering what had just happened. Chris had just _agreed_ with something he had been thinking about in his own mind?

Stephanie looked at him as well, wondering what Chris had in mind. Was he trying to get on Paul's good side or something?

Paul calmed down and looked at Chris. "Yeah, man, total idiocy." Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.

Stephanie looked from Paul to Chris as they both looked at each other, wondering what the hell was going on. She noticed the little smirk on Chris's face and knew he had a plan in that devilish little mind of his. She looked at Paul's face and saw a tentative little smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You two are actually _agreeing_ on something?" she asked incredulously a few seconds later.

"Looks like it," Chris said. "I mean, come on. This storyline..." He shook his head, letting his voice trail off. Sure, before Paul had so rudely interrupted their talk about the new storyline, he'd been all for it! A romantic storyline with Stephanie would give him a reason to spend time with her, a reason to touch her and kiss her... But now that Paul was in the room, he would pretend to hate that storyline with a passion. He looked up into Stephanie's eyes and knew that she understood why he was downing the storyline.

"You know, you're not so bad," Paul said to Chris. _If we agree on this then we probably have some other stuff in common_, he thought. He held out his hand, his hatred for Chris seeming to melt away as Chris gazed at him lazily from his seat. "But this storyline is probably already etched in stone, so since you're going to be working with my _wife_..."

"I totally understand," Chris said, shaking Paul's hand. He gripped Paul's hand until he felt him trying to pull back. He gave it a squeeze for good measure, then let go and smiled as Paul cradled his hurt right hand with his left. "Oh, did I hurt you? Sorry about that."

"It's ok," Paul mumbled, rubbing his hand and staring oddly at Chris.

Stephanie looked from Chris to Paul wondering exactly what the hell had just transpired in her office...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Stephanie walked around backstage at Raw, headed to get her makeup done. She was due out at the announcer's table by the ring in less than twenty minutes. Luckily, she was already wearing the appropriate clothes, appropriate meaning barely any clothes at all, just enough to cover what needed to be covered so she could appear on national television without the people at the network going stir crazy. Not her usual style, but this was _her_ character, _this_ was the way she had been directed to portray this persona. What other choice did she have?

"_Aye_, what happened to your face?" Rosa, her personal makeup artist, asked her as she started to apply makeup to her freshly-washed face.

"Sneaking around in the dark at about two in the morning," Stephanie said with a shrug. "My face felt this intense _need_ to come into contact with a wall." At least part of her lame excuse had some truth to it, that being the part about it taking place around two in the morning.

"Tsk, tsk. You're slipping," the older woman said. "I find that hard to believe. You're probably one of the most graceful young women I've ever known."

"So I've heard," Stephanie said dryly, remembering what Chris had told her just a few hours ago. He had basically said the same thing Rosa had just said. He hadn't believed her excuse about running into the wall for an instant. Darn her gracefulness! Thinking back, she had to admit, the whole running into the wall thing was a _pretty_ lame excuse, but it was all she could come up with at the time.

What had she been thinking? Chris could _never_ be so easily fooled with an excuse like that...

"Did you hear me? You're all done," Rosa said, gently shaking Stephanie's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I-I'm fine," Stephanie stammered, standing up. "Just got a little caught up in my thoughts. My little dream world."

Rosa looked at her watch. "Don't you have to be out there by the ring soon?" she asked, raising one meticulously and carefully arched eyebrow.

Stephanie looked at her own watch. "Yeah, it's about time I headed out there." She headed out to the ring and was stopped behind the curtains by Chris.

"What's the plan for the end of the match?" he asked, his eyes ravaging her body with a heated gaze.

"Just go with it," she told him, squeezing his hand lightly. She leaned up to give him a brief kiss. Then her music hit and she headed out to the ring without a single look back.

"That _better_ have been a practice kiss for the storyline," Paul said in a tightly controlled voice as he approached Chris, who was watching Stephanie through the curtains as she made her way to the announcer's table.

"Of course that's all it was," Chris said in a tone that seemed to chide Paul for thinking that it could've possibly been anything else.

Paul exhaled and looked at Chris. "Ok," he said, feeling dumb for jumping to conclusions. Chris was _married_. Not every married man cheated on his wife and it was foolish of Paul to even suspect that Chris and Stephanie could possibly be sneaking around. "Of course it was all about the storyline," he said again to reassure himself.

"That's right," Chris said as his music started to go off. "Be easy, junior." He patted Paul lightly on the shoulder, giving him that patented Y2J smirk, and then walked through the curtains, now fully devoting himself to the role of "Y2J" Chris Jericho.

He paused and posed for the crowd after the usual explosion that followed his countdown. He slipped so easily into the role of being the heel, of being the man that wrestling fans now loved to hate. He sneered at the crowd as he headed down to the ring, cocky, arrogant, self-absorbed, and self-assured.

Instead of slipping into the ring, he grabbed a microphone and sauntered over to the announcer's table. He took a seat on the edge of the table, looking down at Stephanie. He gave her the once-over, his eyes lingering on her chest hungrily. His character was scripted to portray this emotion, so it could only serve to benefit the effectiveness of the storyline that this desire that threatened to take complete control over him was _real_. He licked his lips and prepared to speak.

"Why _Princess_, did you get all dressed up and sexy for _me_?" he asked in a mocking voice. He grinned at her, speaking again before she could. "Of _course_ you did. You've _always_ wanted me."

"Only in your dreams, _loser_," she managed to say into the microphone.

"Wow, this is _serious_," he said, amused. "Did all of you _Jerichoholics_ hear that? Our slutty little princess _dreams_ about me!"

"I didn't say that," she snapped, giving him an evil look for the cameras.

"Chris Jericho knows everything," he said shortly, then impulsively leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

She kissed him back and then pushed him away. "You ass," she spat, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You pompous jerk, you lifeless loser, you-"

"Save it for later, I have a match with John Cena right now," he said, getting up off the edge of the table. "I have a WWE Championship to win."

"Over my dead body," she growled.

"Well somebody call The Undertaker over from Smackdown and tell him that Stephanie McMahon needs a casket, 'cause I'm winning tonight!" he yelled to the crowd. His proclamation was greeted with boos intermingled with loud jeers and a few cheers from loyal Jerichoholics. He leaned into a corner of the ring and waited for John Cena to come out.

John Cena's music hit and he made his entrance. Chris tried hard not to be jealous of the response John got from the fans. Chris could remember a time when the fans had stood on their feet and cheered for him like that, had chanted his name until the roof of a sold-out arena shook... But there was no time to dwell on what once was. He had come to the realization that he couldn't always be a fan favorite...and sometimes it was more fun to be a heel!

Stephanie watched Chris leaning in the corner of the ring closest to her, mentally preparing himself and gearing up for his match. He ran a hand nervously through his hair and she watched, mesmerized, remembering just how good it felt when she ran her own fingers through his silky hair... A happy little sigh escaped her lips and she sat up quickly, hoping that J.R., the King, and Coach hadn't seen the way she had been staring at Chris...

The two competitors met together in the middle of the ring, face to face, shouting obscenities at each other. Chris slapped John in the face hard. John punched him back, and this started the match off. John dominated early in the match and it seemed to everyone that Chris didn't stand a chance at all at beating Cena to become the champion. But suddenly, things turned in Chris's favor. He started punching John until he got him to double over and clench his abdomen in pain. Then, Chris decided to do a bulldog on him. He started to run over to the ropes...

Stephanie was out of her seat at the announcer's table in a second. She grabbed Chris's leg as he bounced against the rope. He turned around to look at her, frowning. From behind, John whipped him around to face him and then gave him a clothesline. Stephanie clapped in delight and blew kisses to Chris as he laid flat on the canvas trying to catch his breath and wondering just what the hell Stephanie was doing. Yes, she was supposed to interfere in the match. No, she wasn't supposed to help John Cena win. So what the hell was she doing?

Stephanie decided not to take her seat at the announcer's table. Instead, she opted to circle the ring, watching the match. Whenever Chris gained the upper hand, she would grab his leg or jump onto the apron and grab his arm. As a result, John Cena looked like he would win the match for sure. This was exactly what Stephanie wanted everyone to believe. She just hoped that Chris didn't believe it, because it wasn't going to happen while she was anywhere around!

Once again, Chris was laid out on his back wondering what the hell Stephanie was doing. For someone who had written the romantic storyline that they were supposed to be starting just for their personal enjoyment, she wasn't acting very _romantic_. The referee leaned over him, asking him if he was ok. Behind the referee, John was signaling to the crowd that he was about to do the F-U. If John hit his finishing move on him, Chris knew it would be over... Chris noticed Stephanie on the ring apron behind John and wondered what she was up to.

"Keep the ref busy," Stephanie mouthed to him.

Chris got the message and grabbed the referee. "My arm, my leg, everything is starting to hurt! Oh, the pain! The excruciating pain!" Chris exclaimed.

"Calm down, Jericho. I can end the match if it hurts too bad," the referee said to him.

"Nooo! Don't end the match. Just give me a minute to gather my bearings," Chris said. "And don't let my hand go."

The referee raised his eyebrows but said nothing. He just held Chris's hand.

Behind the referee's back, Stephanie entered the ring and walked around to stand in front of John. "Well hi there," she said in a smooth voice. "How's the match going?"

"Just fine," John said. "Now get outta the ring and let me finish what I'm doing."

"You know you can't resist me, John," she said, and the whole front row of fans gasped.

"What you talkin' bout, Stephanie?" he asked, confused. He stood there scratching his head and waiting for her reply.

"I'm talking about us, John. Me and _you_..." Her voice trailed off as she rubbed her body against him and purred like a frisky cat. This was the worst part of her role in the company, using her body like this. But she had to do what she had to do...

"Watch out there, now," John said in a low voice. "You haven't seen what I got down here," he added, patting the front of his shorts suggestively.

"I haven't seen it? Hmmm... Well then you'll just have to let me _feel it_!" she exclaimed, and before he could react, she kicked him as hard as she could between the legs. He fell over onto the canvas with tears streaming from his eyes. The tears were real. The pain was real.

Chris hopped up. When the referee looked inquisitively at him, he smiled. "All better, ref," was all he said.

"Get him in the Walls of Jericho, Chris!" Stephanie yelled encouragingly from where she now stood outside the ring.

"This one's for you, baby!" Chris yelled. He dragged John into the middle of the ring and quickly put him in the Walls of Jericho. Stephanie clapped and cheered him on as John struggled to make it to the ropes. Each time John got close, Chris pulled him back into the middle of the ring.

John couldn't take the pain anymore. He tapped out.

The referee signaled for the bell to ring. Then he got the championship belt and brought it over to Chris, who was pulling himself up using the ropes.

"The winner and your new WWE Champion... Chris Jericho!" Lillian Garcia announced.

Stephanie grabbed the microphone from Lillian and slipped into the ring. She walked over to Chris, then helped him up. He held his new belt in one hand and Stephanie's hand in the other. They stood in the middle of the ring, glaring into each other's eyes. The crowd went deathly silent.

"The winner, the new WWE Champion, and the love of my life... Chris Jericho!" Stephanie exclaimed into the microphone.

The crowd gasped one collective gasp as Stephanie and Chris embraced in the middle of the ring, playing tonsil hockey for the world to see.

Chris smiled as Stephanie's lips moved against his. _I've got the girl, I've got the belt_, he thought. _Only thing left to do now is kick Paul's ass...but not yet. When the time is right, then I'll do it._

Backstage, Paul and Torrie were in her locker room watching the end of the John Cena/Chris Jericho match.

"Wow, they're great actors," Torrie said, watching intently as Chris and Stephanie made out on the screen. "They make their emotions seem so real!"

"A little _too_ real," Paul said, glaring at the image of his wife kissing Chris. "And I don't like it at all..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Paul was waiting with his arms folded and a frown on his face when Stephanie and Chris walked through the curtains after their romantic antics in the middle of the ring. They were laughing and talking and Paul couldn't help being jealous because of the way Stephanie's eyes were shining with happiness. She was practically glowing, and he couldn't remember a time when _he_ had been able to make his wife glow that way.

"You were awesome out there, Chris!" Stephanie exclaimed. "No one can escape the Walls of Jericho!"

"I was a little worried when you kept tripping me up," Chris admitted. "But when you came into the ring and told me to distract the referee I knew what was up."

"How about that annoucement I made?" she asked, elbowing him. "I'm better than Lillian Garcia."

"Forget the announcement. I liked the post-match celebration," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Guess you were right," she said thoughtfully.

"About what?" he asked.

"I guess hockey really _is_ the best sport," she said.

"_Tonsil_ hockey," he laughed.

Chris and Stephanie kept laughing and talking and walked by, not even noticing Paul standing there. They were too caught up in conversation...and each other. Paul couldn't believe it.

"Hey, you two _lovebirds_," Paul called after them. "Didn't notice me standing here?"

They turned around, Stephanie looking surprised and apologetic. "Oh, sorry baby," she said, rushing over to him. "I...didn't see you standing over there."

"Didn't see me?" Paul asked, amazed. He ripped his shirt off and flexed his muscles, making his pecs jump. "Damn, baby, but I think I'm pretty hard to miss, don't you think?"

"He's right, Steph," Chris immediately agreed. "He's about as hard to miss as they come. He's like a gorilla with a nose that takes up half his face." Paul glared at him. "But Paul, I mean that in a totally _good_ way."

"Yeah, ok," Paul said, deciding not to lash out at Chris. He would take it out on Stephanie later, whenever they were alone. _Someone_ would pay for that remark.

Just then, Vince McMahon came up out of nowhere. "Oh good, you're all together," Vince said. "We have some things to discuss." He wore a serious expression that immediately worried the three younger ones.

"Is something wrong, Daddy?" Stephanie asked, immediately worried.

"Yeah, Dad, is something wrong?" Chris asked before Paul could ask. Everyone looked at him with amusement in their eyes. Everyone, that is, except for Paul. "What?" Chris asked innocently. "Something wrong?"

"Wrong? Chris, Steph, everything is absolutely _perfect_!" Vince exclaimed, a smiled appearing on his face. "Did you see the reaction from the fans when you were kissing? They _loved_ it!"

"Because it was so unexpected," Stephanie said. "I mean, before the match, we really built it up. You know, our usual hatred routine."

"Right. Did you see the pre-match kiss?" Chris asked.

"_I_ saw," Paul said. "That wasn't in the script."

"It's like adlibbing. You just go with it," Chris said, giving Paul a look that plainly screamed, "Duh!"

"I liked the little pre-match confrontation," Vince said. "That set the tone for the whole match. It was a stroke of brilliance the way you wiped his kiss away _before_ the match, Stephanie, only to welcome it _after_ the match."

Stephanie beamed at her father's compliment. Paul's frown got deeper. Chris smirked at Paul.

Vince went on talking. "It was so brilliant, in fact, that you two are going to do the Triple S photo shoot for Raw magazine tomorrow," he said, pointing at Chris and Stephanie. They all raised their eyebrows. "Before you all ask, the Triple S photo shoot is my newest brainchild. It's softcore XXX. Sizzling, sexy, seductive... It'll go perfectly with the storyline."

"Sizzling, sexy, seductive?" Paul asked. "Oh no, I have some problems with that!"

"You're a good businessman, Paul, right?" Vince asked his son-in-law.

"Well yeah, but-"

"Then you understand that this is strictly business," Vince said. He smiled. "So Chris, Steph, you two will need to be here at the arena bright and early in the morning...and please, no tag-alongs." He looked pointedly at Paul, then smiled again. "Good night! he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

**Sorry it's so short, but I think it was a good place to end the chapter...**

**Funny that you should ask that, DCFanatic4Life. We'll find out what Chris's wife thinks in Chapter 8!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Chris headed to his locker room with a smile on his face. He was ecstatic. Nothing could wipe the silly grin off his face. He considered it permanent with the mood that he was in. How _awesome_ could his life be? He was the new WWE Champion, he could kiss Stephanie as much as he wanted to at work without being questioned, and he was going to be doing a Triple S photo shoot with Stephanie the next day. But the thing that made him happiest was the fact that this new storyline justified him spending time with Stephanie so there wasn't a damn thing Paul could do about it!

Chris was at his locker room door with his hand on the door knob when he heard his cell phone ringing. He stood there for a minute with a smile on his face as he listened to his new ringtone. It was _his_ voice saying, "Hey, some _assclown_ is calling you! Pick up the phone, junior!" He shook his head, then headed into the locker room to answer his phone with the same silly grin still plastered across his face. He felt like a teenager again, a teenager without a care in the world...

When he got to his cell phone and looked at the Caller ID, his spirits dropped and his grin quickly faded. Reality, the reality that he wasn't a teenager, but an adult with responsibilities, came crashing down on him, and it weighed a ton. It was his wife.

"Hello?" he answered, grabbing his bag and sitting down on the couch.

"What did I just see on Raw?" his wife demanded to know.

"You just saw me win the WWE Championship," he replied, unzipping his bag to look for his journal. "You just saw one of the best Chris Jericho victories in the illustrious history of Raw."

"_After_ the match," she snapped. "What the hell was that?"

"Oh, the post-match celebration with Stephanie McMahon," he said, starting to feel a bit uneasy. "Yeah, that's..."

"Why didn't you tell me were going to be kissing another woman?" she asked, obviously upset. "Nothing can prepare a woman for seeing her husband kiss another woman the way that you did, but you should've told me."

"I just found out today," he said calmly. "And they wanted us to keep the new storyline hush-hush. They didn't want us to tell anyone and risk it possibly leaking out to the fans."

"You could've at least warned me, Chris," she said. "And I'm not just _anyone_. I'm your _wife_, remember?"

"How could I _forget_ with your constant nagging?" he asked, his voice getting louder. "Can you answer _that_?"

"I nag because I'm worried that everything we worked so hard to build up is falling apart," she said. "And when I saw you _kissing_ Stephanie McMahon in the ring... The look on your face looked _real_." She paused, then went on in a loud voice. "Was it real? Can _you_ answer _that_?"

He was silent. It _was_ real. _He_ knew that. But he didn't want to tell _her_ that. How _pathetic_ would he sound? And how much would a little confession about his _true_ feelings for Stephanie hurt his wife, his family, and his marriage? He knew it would do some colossal damage and the effects would be irreversible. He decided that he couldn't answer that question.

"How could you ask me something like that?" he finally asked, pulling his journal out and rummaging around in the bag for his lucky pen. His Billion Dollar Princess pen...

"Why can't you answer my question?" she countered.

"Because... What's the point?" he asked angrily. "You obviously don't trust me anymore."

"When I talked to you last, you couldn't even tell me you that loved me," she said, sounding anguished. "You used to be able to say it to me all the time and now all you can do is stutter and tell me you'll see me in a few weeks. Based on that, do _you_ think I should trust you, Chris?"

He didn't know what to say. She was telling the truth and he couldn't deny _any_ of it. So he just remained silent, listening to her breathing over the phone and cringing as her breathing turned into sobs that made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He hated the fact that he was causing her so much pain and wondered how this was affecting his little boy...

"Your silence just confirmed my fear," she said suddenly, sniffling.

"What fear?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"My fear that the look on your face in the ring was real," she said shortly. He heard a sharp click, then an overwhelming silence.

He hung up his cell phone and leaned back on the couch, hands up to his head, fingers massaging his throbbing temple, eyes closed. His wife could be so dramatic! Thinking about their recent conversation made his head throb even more. When had everything gone so horribly wrong between them? He would call her back later to fix things. Later, when he thought she'd calmed down and would be in a reasonably calm mood to talk...to listen...

His painful headache disappeared as quickly as it had come. He shook his head, then started to write the lyrics to a new song that had been floating around in his head for a while.

About fifteen minutes later, he looked down at his hastily scribbled lyrics. He read them, then reread them. He smiled, satisfied that he'd managed to incorporate his feelings into a song in such a simple way, his feelings about the two women in his life who ruled his heart, and why he felt the way that he did. Torn. Upon reading the lyrics for a third time, he discovered a hidden message that he hadn't even realized he'd put in there and decided to name his song "Ode To A Princess".

He dedicated his song to Stephanie, then hurried to take a shower so he could go meet Stephanie and Paul for dinner in an hour...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Paul waited until he and Stephanie were in his locker room and the door was shut before he pulled himself up to his full height and glared down at his wife. He saw the fear in her eyes and he smiled a grim little smile, loving the way he could easily intimidate her.

"I don't like the way you were rubbing yourself against John Cena," he said. He stepped closer to her and she immediately took a step back. "And I _especially_ don't like the way you were kissing Chris."

"I... It..." Stephanie couldn't think of anything to say. She backed away from him, feeling apprehensive. She had this impending feeling of dread, like something horrible was about to happen.

"Speechless?" he asked, still advancing upon her. "Cat got your tongue?" He sneered at her. "Or does Chris still have it?"

She backed into a solid wall and cursed inwardly. "Now Paul, you know that was just for the storyline," she said in a quiet voice. She placed her hands on his chest, still bare from when he had ripped his shirt off earlier, right after she and Chris had came backstage. "You know you're the only man I love to kiss."

"Yeah, right," he said sarcastically. "That explains why you kissed Chris backstage _before_ the match."

"That... Um, that was _practice_ for the storyline," she explained. She couldn't believe he'd seen that! She would have to be more careful. Sneaking around was much easier when she was nowhere around Paul. "You know I wouldn't be kissing Chris just for the hell of it. _You're_ my husband, not him." How much she regretted that simple fact!

"I know that. Do you think I'm stupid or something?" he asked. He moved her hands off his chest. "And you better tell your little _friend_ to keep his little smart ass comments to himself. I didn't appreciate the whole gorilla remark he made earlier."

She giggled softly, then clapped her hands over her mouth. "I'll be sure to tell him that," she said quickly, hoping that he hadn't noticed her giggling.

"Were you just _laughing_?" he thundered.

"N-no... I mean, it... Yes," she answered, figuring it would be better to just tell the truth. "It _was_ kind of funny."

"Funny?" He laughed sadistically. "I'll show you something funny." He turned around and headed for the shower in the locker room. "Come on, let's go get our shower together."

"You go first. I'll get mine after you," she said in a shaky voice. She knew better than to get in a shower with him when he was in one of his moods. _Anything_ could happen, and she really didn't want that.

"I am your _husband_. Therefore, you are to obey me!" he exclaimed. He gripped her arm tightly with his hand and she cried out in pain as he dragged her to the shower. Once at the shower, he stripped her clothes off quickly, not caring if he was hurting her or not. He threw her in the shower, then took off his clothes as well. He stepped into the shower and saw her cowering in the corner.

For some perverse reason, this excited him to no ends. He turned on the shower and let hot, scalding water come out. "Isn't this romantic?" he asked, advancing on her and letting the scalding hot water run down over his back. He was so _hot_ that the scalding water didn't bother him at all. He liked it.

She tried to get away, move, but there was nowhere to run. She was in the corner and could only stand there and wait as he walked towards her.

"Paul, sweetie, please don't hurt me," she whispered when he came to a stop in front of her. She looked down at her arm. She could see the marks his hand had left behind when he had forcefully dragged her to the shower. She looked back up at him, her eyes pleading for mercy just this one time.

"I'm not going to hit you, Stephanie," he said in a grating voice. "I'm going to make love to you... Right now."

She knew what he was about to do, and making love was nowhere in the description. She put her hands up to him to stop him. Maybe... Maybe if she could just _do_ something to make him realize what he was doing... Maybe then he wouldn't do this to her.

"I want you so much," she whispered to him, leaning up to kiss him passionately. She ran her hands up and down his chest, then lower...

"What are you doing?" he asked, pulling back to raise an eyebrow at her.

"I'm kissing you," she said, kissing his neck. "You said you were going to make love to me, right?"

"Yes," he said, grabbing her hands and holding them above her head with one hand. "But I meant _this_ way."

"No, not this way," she whispered. "This isn't making love, Paul. This is more like rape than anything."

He slapped her hard on her thigh. "Are you accusing me of _rape_?"

"No, I'm not accusing you of rape," she said quietly, knowing that she would soon have a bruise on her thigh. "I just said that this is _like_ rape."

He thought about that for a minute while holding her hands above her head. She studied his face with baited breath, waiting, hoping that maybe he would come to his senses and realize that what he was about to do really _could_ be considered rape.

He looked back down at her. "Then maybe I enjoy raping you. Domination is pretty hot, don't you think?"

She didn't bother answering. The matter was settled in his mind, and there was probably nothing she could do to change it.

Just as she had that thought, there was a knock on the locker room door. The doorknob jiggled and the person, whoever it was, knocked even louder when they realized the door was locked.

"Shit, I guess I'll have to get that," he said, letting her hands go. She looked at her hand and saw that he'd left marks on her wrists, too, from where he had been gripping them too tight. He quickly washed, then stepped out of the shower and dried off. "I'm coming!" he griped at whoever was practically breaking down the door, quickly pulling on some boxers and some pants. "Hold your damn horses!"

Stephanie quickly washed, scrubbing hard, trying to erase all traces of Paul's hands from her body. Then she stepped out of the shower and dried off, glad that someone had come to the door. _Mental note to self: Profusely thank the person who came to the door. That person will be my savior for tonight._

She put on some clothes and came out into the room drying her hair with a towel. She nearly dropped the towel when she saw who her "savior" was.

"Look who's here, Steph. It's Chris," Paul said, as if she couldn't see that with her own two eyes.

"Ready for dinner?" Chris asked, staring at her with a crooked smile on his face.

"Just about," she said, rushing back into the bathroom. She did her makeup and her hair, then made sure no bruises were showing. "I'm ok," she said. "I'm ok." Then she headed back into the locker room where the two men in her life were waiting for her. "I'm ready."

"Awesome, let's go!" Chris said. Stephanie followed him out of the room with Paul bringing up the rear...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"So... This is fun," Stephanie said, taking a bite of her food. She looked over at Chris, who was sitting across from her.

"Exciting," Chris agreed, staring at her while taking a bite of his food as well.

"Really. I've never had more exciting fun than this," Paul said in a bored tone, looking away and pushing his food around with his fork.

They were sitting in one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, if not _the_ most expensive one. The limo ride to the restaurant had been one of uncomfortable silence. The three had basically looked at each other, then looked away, at a complete loss of words. Once at the restaurant, they were still at a complete loss of words, and the tension in the air was getting thicker and thicker by the minute.

"So, Paul, what do you think about the Triple S photo shoot Vince is having Stephanie and me do tomorrow?" Chris asked finally, trying to start a conversation. He couldn't stand the silence.

"I think it's a bunch of bullshit," Paul answered immediately, looking down into his plate of food. "But Vince is right, it'll be good for business."

"I'm actually looking forward to this photo shoot," Stephanie spoke up. Paul raised his head and glared at her. "But only, of course, because I haven't been in a major photo shoot in a while," she added quickly.

"You haven't been in a major storyline in a while, either," Chris went on. "But now you're in one with me. How does it feel?"

"It feels..." _Great_, she thought. But she knew Paul would split his wig if she said something like that, so she said, "It feels weird."

"It's weird watching, too," Paul said, looking hard at Chris. "It's weird watching some guy shove his tongue down your wife's throat in front of millions of fans... How'd _your _wife take it?"

"Jessica kind of freaked out about it," Chris said, looking away as memories of his most recent conversation with his wife ran through his mind.

"Did you tell her about it beforehand?" Paul asked, enjoying the way Chris was suddenly squirming in his seat.

"No. I was told to keep the new storyline a secret, so I kept it to myself," Chris said, suddenly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. "Jess got mad about that part."

"Aw," Stephanie said in a voice full of sympathy. "Well I probably would've been upset, too. Just speaking from a woman's point of view."

Paul rolled his eyes at Stephanie's show of sympathy. Across the room, he spotted Torrie Wilson a couple of tables away in a corner, looking at him. He stood up. "I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be back," he said.

"Ok, sweetie," Stephanie said. She watched him walk away, then looked at Chris.

"Finally, we're alone," Chris said. "I thought he'd never leave."

"Listen, I've been meaning to tell you thank you ever since you came to Paul's locker room earlier," she said.

"Thank you? For what?" he asked curiously. He couldn't remembering doing anything to warrant a "thank you" from Stephanie.

"For being my savior tonight," she said quietly. "See, Paul and I were having a little argument..." Her voice trailed off as memories of what had been about to take place in the shower came back. She gulped and shook her head before turning back to him. "Anyway, you saved me. So thank you."

"Saved you from what?" he asked seriously. She looked down at the table. "Don't tell me that bastard was about to hit you or something."

"It's not important. It didn't happen," she said. Just as she said that, she became aware of her thigh still stinging from the hard slap Paul had given it in the shower. _Gosh, I can't even lie for a second_, she thought.

Chris frowned at her as he watched her become quiet and look down at her plate. He thought of all the things Paul could've been about to do to her if he hadn't arrived when he did. _He could've been hitting her, hurting her some kind of way_, he thought angrily. His eyes got darker as he thought of something else. _Hell, he could've even been raping her or something!_

"So, what happened with your wife?" Stephanie asked a minute later, when the intensity of his stare had become way too much for her to handle. She looked up and met his eyes and couldn't believe how dark they had gotten.

Now it was his turn to look down at his plate. "She called me after the match. She was pissed. She had accusations flying everywhere."

"Accusations?" she asked curiously. "Like what?"

"Like, she _swears_ she saw a certain look on my face in the ring when I kissed you," he said, looking up at her and meeting her gaze. "She asked me if that look was real."

"What was your answer?"

He sighed. "What could I say? I couldn't deny it and I couldn't lie to her either. So I didn't answer her."

"So basically you let her draw her own conclusion?"

"Yeah, basically. And her own conclusion was that the look was real." He gave a wry laugh. "She hung up the phone in my face."

"I'm so sorry, Chris," Stephanie said, reaching across the table to touch his hand. "If I had known this storyline I came up with would cause so much drama, I never would've pushed so hard to get it approved."

"Don't apologize for that," Chris replied, holding her hand in his. "It's my fault. I just need to be a man and tell her the way I feel about you. And I need to do it soon, because sneaking around hasn't been all that easy."

"That's true," she said slowly, thinking. "I need to be a real woman and let Paul know that my feelings for him have really changed. But I just can't bring myself to break his heart."

"Don't wait until he breaks a bone, Stephanie," Chris warned. "Does he hit you often?"

"I don't want to have this conversation right now, Chris," she replied shortly, removing her hand from his. "Let's just have dinner, ok?"

There was no way he could tell her no. He just didn't have it in him. "Ok, beautiful," he agreed. "We'll continue this conversation another day."

"Thank you," she whispered, looking over at him with a smile on her face. "Thank you so much."

"Anything for you," he whispered back. "You have to know that I would do _anything_ for you..."

In front of the bathroom, Paul was waiting patiently by the door. "You're late," he grumbled when Torrie approached him. He grabbed her hand and led her inside.

"Sorry, baby," Torrie said as she followed him inside the co-ed bathroom and into the last stall. She leaned up to kiss him as he hurriedly undid his belt. "Mmmm, you taste so good, you know that?"

"Yeah, baby, I know," he replied as he undid his belt and pulled his pants down just enough. "Now come on, I need this, and we don't have much time." He was practically dying from an overwhelming need to be orally pleased, and she was the only one for the job.

She dropped to her knees in front of him. "Ok, I'll make it quick for you."

He gave a slight groan and tangled his hands in her blonde hair as she started working on him... Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered what Stephanie would do if she knew that he was sneaking around with Torrie... But then the feeling of Torrie's mouth on him erased his concerns over Stephanie, and all he could think about was what was happening in the bathroom stall...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Chris spotted Paul making his way back over to the table and quickly let Stephanie's hand go. She looked at him quizzically and opened her mouth to protest, but Chris interrupted. "Nice of you to join us again, Paul. You've only been gone...well, forever."

Paul sat down in his seat next to Stephanie and smiled, letting the sarcastic comment roll off his back. He was feeling higher than the clouds, higher than the sky, and it was all because of Torrie. He wiped sweat off his brow with a napkin and smiled, digging in to his food. After his little encounter with Torrie, his appetite was suddenly voracious.

"Wow, honey, you weren't that hungry before you went to the bathroom," Stephanie said, watching Paul gobble down his food.

"What are you implying?" Paul asked testily.

"That you must've dropped quite a load," Chris cut in, trying to lighten the situation.

Stephanie bit her lip, knowing that Paul had a red hot temper and hoping that it wouldn't rear its ugly head, especially not at Chris. She was pleasantly surprised when he smiled at Chris.

"Actually, Chris, that's exactly what happened," Paul lied. "I'm just being brutally honest here. Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, you know?"

"All too well," Chris replied, thinking of the conversation he'd just had with Stephanie. He looked at his watch, then up at the couple sitting across from him. "Well, it's getting kind of late. I think I'm going to be calling it a night in a few minutes."

"Already?" Stephanie asked, crestfallen. She glanced at Paul and added quickly, "I mean, we haven't been here for too long, you know?"

"Ah, Steph, let him leave. He probably has to call his wife and make things right with her," Paul said. He looked at Chris and smirked. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Chris said, biting his lip at the thought of what he had to do when he actually did get around to calling his wife. He pulled a crisp fifty dollar bill out of his pocket and stood up. "This should take care of my portion of the meal."

"But you didn't even eat that much," Stephanie pointed out. "There's no way that your portion of the meal alone will come up to that much money."

"It's ok," Chris said with a smile. "What is fifty bucks? Nothing, if you think about it."

"Don't argue with the man, Steph," Paul said with a grin. "If he wants to pay for his part of the meal and for a part of ours, too, then let him."

Stephanie sighed and pushed her plate away. "I'm actually ready to call it a night, too," she said. "What do you say, Paul? Ready to leave?"

"Nope, but if you're ready to leave, why don't you catch a ride with Chris?" Paul suggested. He smiled to himself. If she left with Chris, that would leave him free to go finish his dinner with Torrie, and that was quite a good idea to him.

"Are you sure about that?" Stephanie asked, raising her eyebrow and studying her husband's face. She wanted to be absolutely positive that this wasn't some kind of a test that he was giving her.

"Yeah, I'm sure. You two go on," Paul assured them in a light voice. "I'll finish my dinner alone, pick up the bill, and meet you up in the hotel room when I'm done."

Stephanie glanced at Chris and then looked back at Paul. "Ok, then." She kissed him softly on the cheek, then hurriedly walked out of the restaurant before he could change his mind. She looked at Chris as they walked over to his rental car. "I wonder why he was so ready to let me leave with you?"

"Who cares?" he asked, looking around quickly before putting his arm around her shoulder. "I'm just glad he was stupid enough to let you leave with me."

"He said something interesting, though," she said thoughtfully, putting her arm around his waist. "He said you had to call your wife and make things right with her. How are you going to do that?"

"I really don't know," he said truthfully as they reached the car. He helped her get into the car, then got in on the driver's side. "She was so unbelievably pissed at me today when she called me after the match."

"Did you even tell her that you and I were going to be in a storyline together?" she asked.

"Nope. I mean, I liked the fact that it was just you and me together, our little secret," he said. He chanced a glance at her as he drove, then turned his attention back to the road. "You look pretty tonight."

She smiled and blushed. He always made her blush with even the most simple, humble comments. "Thanks. So do you."

"I look pretty?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "Wow. No one's ever told me that."

"You know what I mean," she said, shoving him lightly. "You look handsome. There, is that better?"

"Yeah, beautiful, that's better," he said. "But to be honest, I wouldn't mind it if you said I was butt ugly, as long as you're with me."

"I'm with you, Chris," she said seriously. She looked at him, and when he pulled to a stop at a red light, she leaned over and kissed him. "I'm with you," she repeated.

"That's good to know," he said. He turned back to the road. "What do you say we go for a walk on the beach or something?"

"I don't know," she said, weighing her options. "Not that I wouldn't want to go for a walk on the beach with you, but Paul might get a little upset."

"I can take him," he pointed out. "If he gets mad, you _know_ I can take him. Besides, it can be a really quick walk, and I have something for you."

"Oh, you have something for me?" She reached over and started touching his arm. "Ok, let's do it. Let's go to the beach."

_**20 Minutes Later**_

"I never knew you carried a blanket around in the trunk of every rental you get," Stephanie said.

Chris smiled. "Well, Steph, you never know when you're going to be taking a little trip to the beach."

"Ok, that makes sense, but what's up with the guitar?" she asked.

He grinned. "This is my _baby_, you know that. Now how's this spot for you?"

"Perfect."

They spread they blanket out over the sand, then sat down and got comfortable. He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned on him. They sat in silence, not saying anything, just enjoying the fact that they were together. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was the only sound that pierced their silence.

"It's really pretty out here tonight," she said, looking up into the dark sky. The stars were twinkling and the moon was shining bright. "The moon is really...luminous tonight."

"Yep, it's a beauty out here tonight," he agreed, removing his arm from around her. "Perfect for what I want to do right now."

She looked at him. "What are you talking about, Chris?"

"After our match when I was talking to my wife...actually, when I was listening to her vent, I was writing a song," he said. "It's still very much in the works right now but I'd like to play it for you."

"Really? A song for me?" she asked, surprised. "What's it called?"

"Ode To A Princess," he told her. "And in case you didn't know, you're the princess."

"I know," she smiled. "So come on, sing it to me."

"I have to warn you, it's not what I usually do," he said. "It's not typical Fozzy stuff, ok? So there's a chance that you may not like it."

"As long as it's your voice singing it, then I know I'm going to love it."

He started strumming the guitar slowly, trying to get it going the way it sounded in his head. Then he looked at her and started singing the song he had written earlier. His voice, along with the guitar, filled the space around them.

**I bare my soul to you**

**I want you to see me clearly**

**After all the arguments**

**Somehow I love you dearly**

**Princess, in my defense**

**You stole my heart away**

**But that was after I married my wife**

**Now I just regret that day**

**Oh, the games we play**

**With my wife and son at home**

**And then when I'm with her**

**You're where my mind roams**

**I can't wait till it's over**

**When she calls me on the phone**

**And when I'm not with you**

**I just want to be alone**

**This is my ode to my princess**

**To you I dedicate my life**

**And I hope you never forget this**

**Steph I wish you were my wife**

**It's been a sad twist of fate**

**Marrying Jess was a mistake**

**But I'm determined to make it better**

**I can't keep being such a fake**

The sounds of his voice and the guitar combined with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was beautiful to Stephanie. She listened to him sing and wished that he would never stop. Her eyes were shining with tears by the time he stopped singing.

"Hey, what's wrong? Is my voice _that_ bad?" he asked in a teasing voice.

"I'm sorry, it's just that no one has ever written a song just for me, you know?" she replied. "And, oh, the things you said..."

"I meant them all," he said. "I think about you all the time... And if I could change the past, I believe that I would've gone after you before I ever got with Jess... Hell, I never would've looked at her twice."

"I think about that sometimes," she said quietly. "You know, if you weren't married to her and if I wasn't married to Paul... I always wonder if our lives would be different."

"Are you kidding me? We'd be together," he said. "And we'd be a hell of a lot happier being married...because we'd be married to each other."

She turned to face him, touching his face softly. She loved the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at her. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he replied automatically. It was funny how he couldn't say those words to his wife, but it just seemed so natural to say it Stephanie...maybe because when he said them to Stephanie he really meant them.

He slipped his arm back around her shoulder and she leaned against him again, and together they looked out at the waves. They both knew that they couldn't change the past, that there wasn't any way to rewrite history. But there was still the hope for a better future... And there was a chance for them to share that future. When it would happen, they had no clue, perhaps when they finally came out with the truth to their significant others...

But for that moment on the beach, they belonged to each other, they were together...and they were content.

**A/N: I know this chapter was kind of...boring...but I'm getting some cool ideas for some other chapters. Just bear with me for a little while, please. Thanks!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**A/N: Thanks for the "lovely" review you left me, Keniob, whoever the hell you are. If you think that Chris/Stephanie pairings "fucking suck" then do all of us a favor who like Chris/Steph pairings and don't "fucking" read. Who's forcing you to read anyway? To everyone else who has reviewed this story, thanks a lot:-)**

Stephanie sat on the bed in her hotel suite in total darkness, waiting. She was waiting for Paul to show up. She had expected him to be back by the time she and Chris had come back from the beach, and she had been surprised that he hadn't. Now, sitting there waiting for him to show up, she was getting increasingly nervous. Her nerves and her fears were getting the best of her as she sat there on the edge of the bed tapping her foot impatiently against the room's plush carpeted floor.

After hearing the song Chris had written for her, Stephanie had been all tears. The things he had said in that song... He made her feel wanted, he made her feel beautiful. But most of all, he made her feel _loved_. Sure, Paul told her that he loved her daily, but she knew in her heart that if Paul truly loved her, he wouldn't hit her the way that he frequently did.

She glanced over at the clock with its bright numbers. It provided the only light in the bedroom, and from what she could see, it was just past 12 AM. She wondered where Paul could be at and what he could be doing. "Let's see... Chris and I finished in the ring at around nine or so... We all left for a late dinner about 9:45, left the restaurant at about 10:20, went to the beach and got back here at about 11:40..." She calculated times in her head. "He should _be_ here by now!"

As if he had heard her, Paul slipped quietly into the suite. He gently shut the door, then tiptoed through the dark suite, hoping against hope that he wouldn't wake his wife. He assumed that she was probably sleeping by now. At least, he hoped she was, because after having dinner with Torrie... Well, then he'd had _dessert_, and now he really needed a shower. He had to get rid of the evidence, and the evidence was smelling pretty loudly in his opinion. He could even still taste her on his tongue... Yes, dessert had been _quite_ tasty!

"I've been waiting for you," Stephanie said in a soft voice.

Paul nearly jumped out of his skin. "Steph! You scared the shit out of me!" he exclaimed, flipping the light on. He leaned in the doorway of the bedroom and held a hand against his chest. "What's the big idea? What are you still doing up?"

"I was waiting for you," she explained. "We really need to talk."

"If this is about what happened in my locker room before we left for dinner, don't bother wasting your breath," he said. "I'm sorry for they way I acted. I didn't mean to do it at all, ok?"

"NO, Paul, it's not ok. I'm not ok. _We're_...not ok," she said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, glaring at her.

"Us," she said simply. "We're...not the way we used to be."

"Of course not. We've grown more. People change," he said, wondering what she was getting at. "I mean, what else can be expected? Change is inevitable."

"That's not exactly what I was trying to say." She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Our love has changed. _My_ love for you has changed," she said, opening her eyes before standing up and walking over to him. She reached for his hand. "What I'm trying to say is..."

"You love me more now than you ever did? Great. I love you more, too," he said, pulling her into a tight embrace. Inside, he knew she was trying to tell him something important, but he didn't want to hear it. Not one word of it. Because he could see her luggage neatly waiting by the bedroom door next to him, and he had a feeling that what she had to say wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Paul, that's _not_-" she began, but she was interrupted when he kissed her hard. He shoved his tongue into her mouth and tried to silence her, to keep her from speaking anymore. She kissed him back. After all, she was his wife, and he would think it was weird if she didn't respond to him with the same passion.

When he was satisfied that she wouldn't say anything else, he pulled back. He smiled at her. She had her hands to her lips with a surprised look on her face. "I'm going to go get a shower," he said. "And when I come out, me and you are going to make up for that little argument we had earlier." He didn't wait for an answer. He just grabbed his stuff and headed into the shower.

Stephanie sat on the edge of the bed again, still clutching her lips. _His lips tasted funny, his tongue... What the hell was that?_ she wondered. _And that smell_... She shook her head. "Nah, I must be crazy. Yeah, that's it."

A few minutes later, Paul walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Stephanie, you sleep?" he asked, looking over and seeing her lying on her side of the bed, facing the direction away from him.

"No, I'm not sleep," she said, sitting up and looking over at him. "I want to talk to you."

"I'm almost naked and all you want to do is talk?" He laughed, walking over to the bed and sitting next to her. "This is not normal behavior. I'm almost naked. You should be wanting to jump my bones!"

"Where were you tonight?" she asked, changing the subject as she remembered the way he had tasted when he had kissed her before his shower.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, playing dumb. "I told you what I was going to do before you even left the restaurant."

"You said you would finish your dinner and come join me," she reminded him.

"And that's what I did..."

"I've been waiting for you for quite some time," she lied. In actuality, she had only been waiting for him for about thirty minutes, but he didn't need to know that. She wanted to make him feel as guilty as possible so what she had to say would be, well, easier for her to say. She had thought about it for a long time, but after that conversation with Chris in the restaurant and then hearing Chris bare his soul to her in that song at the beach... That's when she had made her decision. She had been loving Chris for too long, and Paul had been abusing her for too long, too. It was time for a change.

"Well damn, Steph, I _do_ have a life, too!" he said angrily. "You left with Chris and then I met up with an old friend. We had dinner, we went out for a drink."

"And you didn't bother to call me?" she asked. "Like, you didn't stop once to think that I would be here worried sick about you?"

"There's no reason for you to worry about me. There's no guy around this place that can kick my ass," he bragged. "And I've never really been one who liked to report my every action to _anyone_. I didn't do it before and I won't do it now. If I want to meet up with a friend then that's my choice."

"Was it a female friend?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, so what if it was?" he asked defensively.

"Are you cheating on me?" she asked, just out of the blue. She wanted to have another legitimate reason to leave him, and cheating would be the perfect reason.

"What the fuck? You don't trust me now?" he yelled.

"Forget that I asked, it's just that when you kissed me earlier, you tasted kind of different... I thought..."

"What'd you think?" he asked, eyes glittering dangerously. "That I've been going down on some other woman and you were just getting the aftertaste?"

"Are you admitting it?" she asked in disbelief.

"Are you suggesting it?" he countered, his voice low and deep.

"No, I... You just..." She was at a loss for words. She didn't know if he was admitting that he had done it or not, but she couldn't really believe that he would just admit that he was doing that. There was no way that she would just willingly tell him about the way she was sneaking around with Chris.

"You know what, I think I'll just finish what we started in the shower before dinner," he said. "Forget all that 'making up' shit I was talking about before my shower."

She scooted away from him as he started to crawl over to her. "I don't think we should," she whispered. "You might leave bruises and-"

"Don't worry, Stephanie. The only bruises I'll be leaving tonight will be on the _inside_," he said with a cold laugh. "So you'll still be able to look all pretty for your little Triple S photo shoot in a couple of hours..."

"Please," she whispered, still moving away.

He grabbed her and pushed her down flat on her back. He covered her body with his, leaning down to kiss her roughly. He ripped her clothes off, then sat back to look at her body as she shivered beneath him, tears already leaking from her eyes. She was scared, and he reveled in the fact that he could instill such fear in her. It was a great feeling, this power he knew he had. But the tears were pissing him off.

"Stop fucking crying, you know you want this," he spat, pulling his towel off. He didn't wait for her to say anything else. He just spread her legs as wide as they could go and plunged into her.

"Paul," she whimpered. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you love it," he answered, pounding into her. "You love it and you crave it."

She couldn't reply because she was hurting. She laid there and prayed silently that he would hurry up and get what he wanted. He bit one of her nipples hard as he pounded into her mercilessly, and she closed her eyes, biting her lip as the tears rolled down her face and soaked the pillow...

When he was finally satisfied, he pulled out of her. He leaned over and practically shoved his tongue down her throat. She had to force herself not to gag. "Now wasn't that a great fuck?" he asked when he pulled back. He laughed sadistically and rolled over on his side with his back to her, immediately falling asleep.

She rolled over on her side with her back to him as well, wincing at the pain between her legs. She looked at the clock, which now read 1:13 AM. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the stinging pain that was coursing through her body.

She fell asleep wondering what Chris would do if he ever found out what Paul had just done to her...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

It was only about three hours before the Triple S photo shoot was set to begin. This made it only about five o'clock in the morning, and yet, Stephanie found herself standing in front of Chris's hotel suite with her luggage, wiping the tears from her eyes, those tears that just wouldn't stop coming. She knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to wake any of the other guests on the floor.

_Who the hell could that be?_ Chris asked himself. He stood up from the bed, yawning, then headed over to the door. "Who's there?"

"It's me," Stephanie said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear.

"I never expected to find _you_ at my hotel door," he teased, opening the door with a sleepy smile.

"Can I come in?" Stephanie asked, looking down at the floor so he wouldn't see her tears.

"Of course," he said, pulling the door open wider. She stepped inside and he closed the door, noticing that she had her luggage with her. "To what do I owe this pleasant little visit?"

"I'm feeling anything but pleasant right now, Chris," she said, turning around to face him as the tears kept falling. "I just want to feel you."

"Steph, what's wrong?" he asked, pulling her into his arms. "Why are you crying?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," she said, putting her arms around him and leaning on him. "I just need you."

"Did something happen with Paul?" he asked. Paul was always the first person that came to mind whenever Stephanie was crying and upset. "That bastard, if he hurt you, Steph... I'm going to _hurt_ him!"

"No, don't hurt him," she said. She pulled away and took his hand, slowly leading him into the bedroom. Slowly, because it still hurt a little for her to walk after Paul's assault.

"Why are you walking like that?" he asked, raising one eyebrow as he noticed the way that she was walking.

"Like what?" she asked innocently. "I'm walking the way that I normally do."

"No, you're not," he said. "Did Paul..." He couldn't bring himself to ask the question, but it was in his mind, and if that assclown had actually done what he was thinking he did...

"Look, I'm wearing my pajamas. I just want to catch a little sleep before our photo shoot," she said, pulling the covers back and getting into the bed. She pulled him in after her and he scooted over close to her.

"I'm worried about you, babe," he said sincerely, wiping tears from her eyes. "I need you to tell me what happened to you."

"It's too bad... You would go and do something crazy," she said, leaning against him. "And that's the last thing we need, you doing something to get yourself in trouble."

"Tell me, Stephanie," he said, holding her tightly. "I just want to help you."

"It was Paul," she admitted, closing her eyes.

"That much I figured," he said, closing his eyes as well. _I hate him. I'm going to make him so fucking miserable if he did something to hurt her_, he thought. "What did he do to you?"

"He...raped me," she whispered, then started sobbing against his chest.

"That son of a bitch! He did WHAT?" he exclaimed, sitting up.

"Please, don't make me say it again," she whispered, touching his face. "Just... Please just hold me... I need you to hold me."

He took her in his arms and stroked her hair lightly as she cried. Soon, her tears subsided and she fell asleep lying in his arms, calmed down by the way he was holding her. He gently let her go, getting out of the bed.

"Don't leave me, Chris," she whispered, reaching for him.

"I'll be right back, I promise," he said, leaning down to kiss her softly on the forehead. "There's just something that I need to do."

He pulled on some jeans and socks and shoes, then grabbed his card key. Putting it in his back pocket, he hurried out of the bedroom and then left the hotel suite, headed upstairs. He waited patiently for the elevator, raking his fingers through his hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt; it hadn't seemed very important for him to wear one. When the elevator came, he stepped into it, then headed up to the room where Stephanie's suite was.

A few minutes later, he was banging loudly on the room door.

"Hey Steph, could you get the door? Some maniac is trying to break it down," Paul grumbled, putting a pillow over his head. He heard no reply, and the banging on the door continued. "Stephanie, get the fucking door!" Still no reply. "I swear, you _women_ are such lazy bitches!" he growled, pulling the pillow off his head. He looked in the bed beside him and noticed that Stephanie wasn't there. "Now where the hell did she go and who the hell is banging on the damn door?"

He got up and pulled on his boxers, then walked from the bedroom to the door. He flung the door open and was surprised to find Chris standing there with no shirt on. "What the hell do you want, Irvine?" he asked. "It better be pretty important since you have the audacity to wake me up at freaking five in the morning."

"Where the hell do you get off?" Chris asked, clenching and unclenching his hands. He wore an angry expression on his face, and he knew that he had the right to be angry. This Neanderthal was hurting the woman that he loved, and he wasn't going to just sit back and watch it happen.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Paul asked, scratching his head.

"How the hell could you do that to her?" Chris snapped.

"Do _what_ to _who_?" Paul asked, confused.

"You fucking raped her!" Chris exclaimed, his face an angry shade of red. "How could you do that to her?"

"Oh, we're talking about Stephanie. I didn't rape her," Paul said, rolling his eyes. "Since when is it a crime for me to make love to my wife?"

"If raping her is your way of making love to her then you're a sad, pathetic man," Chris said, shaking his head.

"Look, what Steph and I do is none of your business, so stay the hell out of it!" Paul yelled

"You know what? You're right. I should just stay out of it," Chris agreed, nodding his head.

"Of course I'm right," Paul said as if it was obvious. "I mean, she is _my_-"

Chris punched him as hard as he could right in the nose. "You're a pathetic loser if you would actually do that to your wife," he said.

Paul staggered back a little as blood started to flow freely from his nose. "I think you broke my nose," he said in amazement.

"I'm going to break more than that. You just wait," Chris promised. He turned on his heel and walked away, headed for the elevator. He stepped into the elevator and smiled to himself. It had felt so good to punch Paul in the face, and it had felt even better to see the blood flowing. _That one was for you, Steph_, he thought.

He got back off on his floor and walked over to his room. He opened the door and went back inside, headed for the bathroom. He washed his hands, which had some of Paul's blood on it, then dried them and stepped into the bedroom.

Stephanie was sound asleep in his bed with a pained expression on her face. "No," she murmured. "Please don't..."

_He even tortures her in her dreams_, Chris thought, and he felt the anger rising in him again. He took off his shoes and jeans, then slipped into the bed and under the covers. He scooted over to where she was, then took her in his arms. "Shhh, Steph, you're ok. I'm with you..." She calmed down when she heard his voice, leaning against him.

"Don't leave ever me, Chris," she whispered to him. "Stay with me."

"I'm not leaving you, baby," he promised.

_That son of a bitch. I'm going to make him miserable_, he thought, then fell asleep with her in his arms...

"Where the hell _is_ she?" Paul wondered, cleaning his nose. The blood had stopped, but the pain was just beginning. He sat down on the couch, wondering where the hell his wife could be and how Chris had known about what he had done to her.

He grabbed his cell phone and tried calling Stephanie, but he got her voice mail. He decided to leave her a little message. "Where the hell do you get off telling Chris Irvine, of all people, about our personal business? We're married. He has no part of our marriage! Now as soon as you get this message, you better fucking call me, Steph, or I'm going to be even more pissed off than I am right now, and believe me, right now _I AM PISSED!_"

He flipped his cell phone shut and leaned back against the couch. He closed his eyes and fell asleep on the couch, wondering where Stephanie could possibly be...


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Are you sure you still want to go through with this?" Chris asked, glancing over at Stephanie, who was sitting next to him in the passenger's seat. They were sitting in the parking lot at the arena, parked, debating on whether or not they should continue with the planned photo shoot.

"I'm positive," Stephanie answered. "I was looking forward to this photo shoot."

"But that was _before_-"

She put a finger to his lips to silence him, then started talking again. "I want to do this with you, Chris. I want to share this experience with you, among other experiences..."

He could think of many experiences that he wanted to share with her besides this photo shoot, like being married and growing old with her. Even this morning, just waking up to find her still in his arms had been pure bliss. It had been pure bliss because usually, she never got the chance to stay the whole night, seeing that she was married and all. Of course, that bliss had been tainted by the memory of what had driven her there in the first place, or rather, who. Paul...

He forced himself to stop thinking about it and searched her face for a moment. "Are you sure you're ok, Steph?" he asked softly.

"As ok as I can be. I mean, I still feel so dirty..." Her voice trailed off as she looked away, then looked back at him with sudden tears glittering in her eyes. "What did I do wrong?"

Her lip was quivering, and he mentally berated Paul as he touched her face softly. "You didn't do anything wrong except marry a jackass," he said. Her tears spilled over, and he quickly pulled her into his arms. "Shhh, sweetheart," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair. "Don't cry."

"I can't help it," she whispered. "I just keep wondering why he does it...why he did it..."

_Why he _does_ it? This wasn't the first time?_ "He's a sadistic bastard with a death wish," he said vehemently. "And he doesn't deserve to be with a woman like you. You're too good for him."

She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, burying her face into his loose hair. "What did I do to deserve you? Why are you so good to me, Chris?"

"Because I'm in love with you, Steph," he replied honestly. "Because I _love_ you more than you know."

"I know," she whispered back. "Because I feel the same way."

"That's good to know. It feels good to know that you love me as much as I love you," he said absently, hugging her a little tighter. All the while, all he could do was think of ways that he could make Paul pay. _Giving him a bloody nose isn't nearly enough_, he thought angrily. _Seems like I'm gonna have to teach him a lesson by bringing out the big guns..._

**In the hotel...**

"Stephanie, where the _hell_ are you? We need to talk and we need to talk _now_!" Paul roared into his cell phone. He was talking to Stephanie's voice mail...again. "So as soon as you get this message, you better fucking call me! I _mean_ it!"

He pressed the end button and gave a disgusted sigh. Where the hell was Stephanie? "She better not be down at the police station filing any reports against me," he said aloud to himself. "Or I'll make her pay!"

Suddenly, his cell pone rang in his hand. _Must be her... She knows what I'll do to her if she fails to obey me_, he thought, smirking. Without looking at the Caller ID, he flipped his phone open. "Where the hell are you?" he asked immediately.

"I'm in my room, baby. What's wrong?"

He sighed. "Sorry, Torrie, I thought you were my wife calling."

"Oh, Ste-"

"Don't say her name! How many times have I told you?"

"I'm sorry... You're a little tense," she observed.

"Can't help it," he said, biting his lip. "My wife slips out in the middle of the night and then _Chris_ comes to my room and nearly breaks my nose... You'd be tense, too, believe me."

"Chris _who_?"

"Jericho, Irvine, whatever the hell his last name is... He just came banging down my door arguing about Ste-my wife, and then next thing I know, blood is running out of my nose like a freaking faucet!"

"The nerve of him! Oh, you poor thing. Why don't you...come up to my room, honey?"

He didn't even have to think about it. Stephanie wasn't there and Torrie was offering herself to him. What man would pass up an offering like that? "I'll be up there, babe. Just give me a few minutes."

"I would wait an eternity for you, Paul," she said seriously. She took a deep breath. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while, but I can't tell you over the phone."

"Oh really?" he asked, a feeling of dread washing over him

"Yeah... Just get here soon," she said softly. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Alright... Bye," he said, quickly flipping his phone shut. He stood up and started pacing the room. He didn't like the raw emotion he'd heard in Torrie's voice. He knew she was on the verge of saying something big, something he didn't want to hear her say. He sighed, went in the room, and pulled on some clothes. Then he left the room, still wondering where Stephanie could be...

**At the photo shoot...**

"So, Chris... How do I look?" Stephanie asked, emerging into the room and walking over to him. She spun around slowly in front of him once, giving him the opportunity to check her out from all angles. She smirked a little at him when he didn't speak. He just stood there staring at her with wide eyes. "I guess you like what I'm wearing, then?"

"What you're wearing or what you're_ not_ wearing?" he asked, finally finding the power to speak. The vision of Stephanie standing before him made his jaw go slack. She wasn't wearing much of anything. Everything was...for lack of better words, tight and barely there. He'd seen her naked plenty times, but she looked amazing standing before him.

"You like it?" she asked again.

"You're very pleasing to the eye, Steph," he said. He looked around quickly before leaning over to whisper in her ear. "God, if we were alone..."

She smiled. It was hard to think that she'd been crying her eyes out on his shoulder in the car not that long ago. Granted, she was still upset about what Paul had done to her, but for once she just wanted to forget about it and enjoy herself for the next few hours. She looked Chris up and down and grinned appreciatively. Yes, this photo shoot was going to be fun...

**In the hotel...**

Paul knocked on Torrie's hotel room door. She opened the door immediately and he stepped inside, looking around quickly before shutting the door behind him. "Hey, babe," he said, smiling at her.

"I'm so glad you're here," Torrie whispered, wrapping her arms around him and leaning on him. He put his arms around her and she sighed in content. "This is the best feeling in the world, being wrapped in your arms..."

He didn't say anything. She was getting a bit too soppy for him, and he didn't want that. She was only supposed to be his woman on the side, the woman he could turn to when Steph wouldn't put out...

She pulled back and took his hand, then led him over to the couch. They sat down and she turned to look at him. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a very long time," she began.

"What's that?" he asked, trying not to be nervous. _Me? Nervous?_ he thought. _No way_.

"We've been doing this whole sneaking around thing for nearly a year, and, well, I know you told me not to get my heart involved in this but I can't keep pretending this is all just physical for me anymore. I-"

"Torrie," he interrupted. "Don't say something we'll both regret."

"The only thing I regret is waiting this long to tell you how I really feel," she said. She reached up to touch his face. "Paul... I've fallen so hard for you... Baby, I couldn't help it. I know I'm not supposed to, but you just don't know how much I love you."

"You love me..." His voice trailed off and he looked away.

"Yeah, I _love_ you, and it feels so good to finally say it," she said in a shaky voice. "I love everything about you and all the time we spend together, even if all we get are just a few stolen moments." She bit her lip and lowered her voice, still softly caressing his face. "God, and the way you make love to me..."

_Make love? It's just sex!_ his mind screamed, but he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he forced himself to smile at her. "I can't deny that when we're...when we're together, the experiences are incredible and mind-shattering. We just have this special kind of chemistry in the bedroom, babe."

"I know," she whispered, and she leaned over to kiss him softly.

He found himself responding to her kiss much too strongly, more strongly than he liked. He pulled away immediately and looked at her.

She smiled at him, then stood up. "Come on," she said in a low voice. "Let's go in the room."

He stood up and followed her into the room, still holding her hand. He wished she'd let go already. This was just too intimate for him.

She turned around and kissed him softly, and he leaned down to kiss her neck. "Make love to me," she whispered, closing her eyes. "Please..."

He pulled away and scratched his head. "Oh, you know what? I forgot the condoms again... Let me run back to my room and I'll be back in ten minutes tops."

She sat on the bed and smiled. "I'll wait for you."

"Ok..." He gave her an awkward smile, then hurried out of the bedroom and out of the hotel room period. Leaning against the wall in the hallway, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm down. It was all ruined. His little affair with Torrie was shot to hell now that she had said that she loved him. It was over. He would not go back to her, and he knew it. The condoms were in his pocket. He'd just needed an excuse to get the hell out of that room and away from Torrie.

"I see we meet again," Trish Stratus said, coming up out of nowhere.

Paul opened his eyes and looked the blonde bombshell up and down. Then he looked into her eyes. "Yeah, I guess we meet again."

"Where are you headed?" she asked, leaning close to him. "Coming to see me, I hope."

"You know what?" he said, leaning down. "Maybe I was."

She smirked at him, then started to walk away. "Then why are we out here? My room's _this_ way."

He smiled and followed her to her room. His affair with Torrie, in his opinion, was now over, so now he was free to move on to the next woman: Trish Stratus...

**A/N: So this chapter jumped around a bit, I know. I just have so many ideas in my head right now and I can't figure out a good way to put them down on paper... Forgive me if this chapter was too confusing! Future ones will be better... Besides, I just thought of an AMAZING twist involving Torrie Wilson... Now I just have to figure out how I'll incorporate that into this story.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Torrie sat in her hotel room on the edge of the bed, waiting. She had been waiting for Paul to come back for the last two hours, and he hadn't returned yet. She didn't want to believe it, but yet, inside, she knew. She knew that he wasn't ever going to come back, because it hadn't taken that long to go to his room and get condoms the last time when he had forgotten them. No, he just wasn't coming back, and she realized that. She wanted to believe that maybe Stephanie had been in his hotel suite when he had gone to get the condoms, and that maybe he had gotten tied up with her and hadn't been able to come back yet. She knew this wasn't true, though, because she remembered him mentioning some photo shoot Stephanie and Chris were supposed to be doing early that morning.

She had come to the realization that he wasn't going to come back to her perhaps an hour after she'd been waiting, and it was disappointing, to say the very least. And it was all her fault. He had made it clear from the beginning that their relationship was to be purely physical, and he had warned her not to get emotionally attached. She had agreed with his terms in the beginning, but not getting emotionally attached had been easier said than done. She had fallen for him, and she had fallen hard. It wasn't like she'd _made_ herself fall for him. It had just _happened_...

"My mistake was telling him how I felt," she said with a sigh, wiping the tears from her face. "But I couldn't hold it in anymore... It was _killing _me!" She stood up, frustrated, and went into the bathroom to wash her face. She didn't want to look like a hot mess when Paul came back..._if_ he decided to come back. Somehow she knew, though, that he wasn't, and she sat down on the bed again. _I don't know why I fell for a married man...but I can't let him go that easy_, she vowed mentally, and then she began to devise a plan to get him back...for good.

_**Two doors down from Torrie's hotel room...**_

Paul kissed Trish again, then stood up and looked around. "Damn, where'd I put my pants?" he wondered aloud.

"I think they're probably by the door," Trish said, sitting up in the bed and pulling the sheet around her. She watched him for a minute, smiling lightly, then went on. "Hell, I think we left everything by the door, including our inhibitions."

"Inhibitions?" he scoffed, pausing on his search for his pants to look at her. "You didn't have any, and I know I sure as hell didn't."

"True," she agreed, leaning back against the headboard to observe him. He was absolutely gorgeous, standing there before her. To tell the truth, she had been wanting to hook up with him for quite some time, but she'd never had the courage to approach him in that regard. A while back, they'd had this storyline together, and she had wanted to make a move on him, but he had been dating Stephanie, and he hadn't been interested in Trish at all. It was kind of ironic, really, how he hadn't paid her any attention while he was single, but now he was married and they had just slept together. She wasn't complaining, though. She was just glad that it had happened.

"Found them!" he exclaimed, grabbing his jeans. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, putting them on. He stood up to zip his jeans up and turned to look at her, only to find her staring at him. "What are you thinking about?" he asked curiously as he buckled up his belt.

"Just thinking about what we just did," she said, smiling at him. "Looks like your saying is right. You're really _that damn good_."

"I know," he said cockily, searching around for his socks and shoes. "Why, did you have doubts or something?"

"No, no doubts," she said quickly. She smiled seductively at him and bit her lip lightly. "But, I must say, we're going to have to do this again sometime."

"Without a doubt," he agreed, finally done dressing. He walked over to the side of the bed and leaned down to kiss her. "You are one hell of a woman in bed, Trish. I don't know why I waited so long to take you up on your offer."

"I don't know why you took so long, either, but next time..." She pulled him to her and kissed him hard, then pulled back, panting. "Next time, don't keep me waiting so long."

"I won't," he said, smiling at her. He turned and left, then, without a look back. _Damn, that girl sure knows how to ride_, he thought, smiling to himself as he shut the door behind him and headed for the elevator at the end of the hall. He paused for a moment at Torrie's hotel room door, feeling guilty, but that guilt only lasted for a moment as he remembered what he'd done with Trish. _What's done is done,_ he thought, starting to head for the elevator again. _Next on my agenda: Find Stephanie and teach her a little lesson about getting other people involved in our relationship...other people like Chris Irvine..._

As the doors to the elevator closed, he knew exactly where he was going to find his wife: at the arena at the Triple S photo shoot...

_**In the parking lot at the arena...**_

"That was fun, huh?" Stephanie asked, sitting in the passenger's seat of the car. She looked over at Chris and smiled when she noticed that he was looking at her as well. Her smile faded a little at his next words, though.

"That was fun, but we need to have a serious talk now," Chris said in a serious tone. He reached for her hand and held it tightly in his as he looked into her eyes. "Steph, I think you need to leave Paul." She started to say something, but he gave her a look that instantly silenced her, then went on. "I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that it's unfair for me to tell you to leave Paul when I haven't left Jess, but just hear me out for a minute. Paul's bad for your health, physically and mentally, and I-"

"I agree with you," she interrupted. "Last night after you sang to me on the beach, I made the decision to leave him, and I was waiting for him in the hotel room after I got back..." Her voice trailed off as she looked away, and she went on in a soft voice. "Things just didn't go the way I planned for them to go."

"You were actually going to leave him?" he asked, eyebrows raised. She nodded, and he went on. "I don't mean for just one night, Steph. I mean for _good_. Were you going to leave him for good?"

"Yes, Chris, I was going to leave him for good," she said, looking back at him. She smiled a little at the look of surprise on his face. "What can I say? I love you, and that song you sang to me on the beach just confirmed that you love me the same way... After being with you and feeling this way about you, I just couldn't see how I could possibly stay with him any longer..."

"I don't like the way he abuses you," he said after a minute. "I only just found out about it yesterday, you know, but that can't have been the first time he's ever hurt you...and then raping you, God, that's just..." His eyes hardened as he pictured Paul raping the woman that he loved, and he frowned. "It makes me want to kill him, literally."

"I don't want you to do that, though," she said, squeezing his hand. "I don't even want you to confront him about it. He doesn't need to know that you and I are closer than we've been leading him to believe."

He pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair nervously. "I think it's a little too late for that," he said uneasily, looking away.

"What are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously. She observed him carefully, noticing how tense he was and the way he wouldn't look at her. He'd done something, she could tell. The question was, what was it that he'd done? "Chris, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything that was inappropriate," he said, meeting her gaze and not looking away. "I paid him a little visit as you were falling asleep and..."

"So that's where you went," she said, remembering. "I didn't know where you'd gone... I thought you'd left me because you didn't want to be around me or something."

"No, baby, never that," he whispered, caressing her face lightly. "I would never leave you... No, I left so I could go pay your husband a little visit and give him a piece of my mind."

"Tell me you didn't say anything about what he did to me," she pleaded. "Tell me you didn't touch him."

"You know I can't lie to you, Steph," he replied, still touching her face. "I told him how I felt about the situation, and then I punched him. I hope I broke his nose, that no-good bastard..."

"I didn't want you to get involved in that!" she exclaimed, now upset. "I was going to handle it, really!"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't just sit back knowing what he'd done to you! Christ, Steph, he _raped_ you! He forced himself on you against your will! He hurt you!" He pulled her closer to him, their faces inches apart. "I don't want you hurting... That's why I'm going to hurt him."

"No, don't! Just stay out of it," she argued. "Believe me, I don't want to be hurting either, but this is my marriage, and it's something I'm going to have to handle _alone_."

"But you're not alone, Steph. I'm here, _me_, and I want to help you," he said quietly. "I don't want you to stay with him... You need to end things with him as soon as possible so you can avoid being hurt again."

"I _will_ end things with him, I will," she said in a low voice as she gazed at him. "I just don't know how I'm going to do it, and I'm going to need some time to think of a plan."

"A _plan_?" he asked incredulously. She nodded. "I have a plan already; it even has a name. I call it...Operation Kick-Paul's-Ass-To-The-Curb-ASAP, and all you have to do is call him and tell him that it's over. That's it."

"It's so much more complicated than that, though. You can't just end a marriage over the phone," she said logically.

"Ok, maybe not, but you could just file for a divorce and let him get the papers in the mail," he pointed out. "I'm sure he'd get the point then."

"I think... I don't know. I don't know where I'd go if I did something like that," she said, looking away. "I mean, I know I could always just go back home to Mom and Dad but do you know how lousy I would feel? 29 and back at home with my parents..."

"You could just come home with me," he suggested. "You could sleep in a guest bedroom and-"

"I'm pretty sure your wife wouldn't be too crazy about that idea," she cut in. "That wouldn't work well at all, considering the fact that she now thinks that you have feelings for me."

"Yeah, you're right," he said with a defeated sigh. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Bad idea on my part, I guess."

"I'll figure something out," she assured him, which was kind of ironic. She leaned back in her seat and gazed at him. "I promise I'll figure something out."

"You better, and soon," he said, opening his eyes to look at her. "Because I love you too much to allow you to stay with him and risk your life this way..." They gazed at each other for quite some time, not speaking, until they were interrupted by a knock on the window. He looked over at the person knocking on the window and felt the anger coursing through his body. He let the window down. "What the fuck do you want?" he asked snidely.

"Look, I just need to speak with my wife," Paul said in what he hoped was a humble voice.

"Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you after that shit you did to her," Chris replied testily. "You're a sadistic bastard, you know that?"

"Chris!" Stephanie hissed, elbowing him in an attempt to make him stop talking. He looked at her briefly before turning back to the man he hated more than he'd ever hated anyone before.

"Chris, I just need to speak with my wife. We need to have a serious talk, and... I just need to talk with her, man," Paul said, biting his tongue the whole time. He wanted to yell and curse, he wanted to let his anger loose and break something! He wanted to hurt this little punk sitting in the car next to his wife...but hurting someone would have to wait until he got Stephanie alone. For now, he would have to pretend to be sorry for what he'd done to her...

"I'm going to talk to him," Stephanie decided, reaching for the door handle.

Chris reached out and put a hand on her arm. "Don't go with him, Steph. Talk to him here," he pleaded. "I don't want you alone with him."

"Maybe he really does just want to talk, though," she said, opening the door. "I'll be right back, ok?"

"Steph... Please," he said in a low voice, low so that Paul wouldn't hear him. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"I'll be right back," she repeated, as if she was in some kind of a trance. "Just wait right here for me."

"Ok," he said with a sigh, and he sat back to watch her go.

Paul laughed to himself, but kept a straight face as he met Stephanie behind the back of the car. "I know I've done some things, baby, some unforgivable things...and I think we need to talk about it... Will you go for a walk with me?"

"Yes," she said immediately, but she didn't know why. It was like she was in some kind of a daze at the moment, and she couldn't get out of it.

They started walking together, and he started talking. He didn't know where he was spouting all this sympathetic "I'm sorry" bullshit from, but it was coming out and sounding quite sincere. As soon as they rounded a corner, though, and found themselves at a dark dead end, he dropped the act and grabbed her arm.

"I want to know what the hell you were thinking when you left me in the room while I was sleeping!" he said in a low, menacing voice. "And I want to know _now_, before I get violent."

"Paul, let me go," she said in a low voice, biting her lip.

He didn't let her go. In fact, he squeezed her arm even tighter. "You should've listened to that sissy Irvine when he said he had a bad feeling about this," he informed her. "Because things are about to get ugly..."

**A/N: Weird chapter, I know. What happens next? I have no clue...but I'm starting the next chapter soon.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Paul, please," Stephanie whimpered. "Please let me go. Y-you said you just wanted to talk."

"And you believed me?" Paul asked, snickering at the look on her face. He shook his head. "It's a shame, Steph. You've been married to me for nearly three years and you really don't know me at all."

"But I know you, you bastard!" Chris exclaimed, coming up behind them. "And I don't trust you any farther than I can throw you, that's for sure."

"Chris," Stephanie breathed, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He was there and he would save her. He had been right the whole time, and he hadn't listened to her when she'd told him to wait in the car. She would have to remember to thank him for it later, when this was all over.

"This doesn't concern you, Irvine," Paul said, still gripping Stephanie's arm tightly. "So why don't you just mind your own damn business and walk your little ass back to your car?"

"And leave her alone with you again? No way," Chris said, shaking his head adamantly and taking a few cautious steps closer. "Let her go."

"Make me," Paul challenged, gripping Stephanie's arm a little tighter and making her bite her lip.

"You have a death wish, don't you?" Chris asked, stepping even closer. "You're so pathetic. You want to beat up on a defenseless woman just so you can feel powerful. That's how The Game gets his rocks off, huh?"

"Doesn't matter how I get my rocks off," Paul said, still squeezing Stephanie's arm. "The fact of the matter is, Stephanie is _my_ wife. _You _don't have any reason to be sticking your nose in _our _business, getting involved in _our_ marital problems." He looked down at his wife. "Isn't that right, Steph?"

"Chris and I are friends. He knows, and he has a right to know," Stephanie said, closing her eyes. "Can you just please let me go so we can...discuss this in an organized manner?"

"What is there to discuss, Steph?" Chris asked. "I don't want to discuss anything with him! I just want to kick his ass for hurting you."

"You talk a lot of shit, Irvine, but we all know you can't back it up," Paul said. "You're nothing but a mid-carder, both in the ring and in life as well."

"A mid-carder? Who's the current WWE Champion? Me!" Chris scoffed. "And who's the one who's been wrestling on Velocity these days instead of Raw? Let me think... That would be _you_."

"You talk too much," Paul complained, letting Stephanie go and pushing her. She stumbled a little, but managed not to fall, and Chris put his arms protectively around her.

"You ok?" Chris asked her, touching her face lightly.

"As long as I'm with you," Stephanie whispered, hugging him. "I should've listened to you, Chris. I should've listened."

"We all make mistakes," he whispered back. "The only thing we can do is try not to repeat them."

"I won't," she vowed.

"Ok, you two done talking? Because I want to kick somebody's ass," Paul said, frowning at the display before him. "Do I have any takers? Any volunteers?"

"Stephanie, go wait in the car," Chris ordered, letting her go. "I have some unfinished business here with your husband."

"You mean my soon-to-be ex-husband, right?" Stephanie asked, turning to look at Paul. "Because I can't be in this relationship with you anymore, Paul. All you've done is hurt me and rape me, and then you claim that you'll stop but you never do! You say that you'll change but you won't! You say that you love me...but you don't."

"What are you trying to say?" Paul asked in a low voice.

"Can't you take a hint? She called you her soon-to-be ex-husband. She said she can't be in this relationship with you anymore," Chris pointed out. "It's obvious that she wants a divorce, idiot."

"She doesn't mean that, do you, Stephanie?" Paul asked, already getting angry.

"Yes, I mean it," Stephanie said, hiding behind Chris for protection. "I want a divorce. There's no way to salvage our marriage...and if there did happen to be a way... I don't believe what we have is worth trying to save."

"You little bitch!" Paul exclaimed, and he lunged for her.

Chris caught him instead. "Go to the car, Stephanie!" he exclaimed as the two men locked up and began to fight. "And stay there until I get back!"

Stephanie didn't want to leave the two men alone. The thought of what her husband could do to Chris in this kind of deranged mood was truly frightening to her. But Chris always knew what to do, and he was almost always right, so she decided to do what she hadn't done earlier... She decided to listen to him. She took one last look at the two men, then hurried to the car so she could get to her cell phone. She had a feeling that they were going to need a police out there...

And maybe an ambulance, too, before it was all over...

After calling 911, Stephanie sat waiting in the car, hoping that Chris was ok. It had been five minutes already. What was she supposed to do? Stay in the car and wait for him, or go back and make sure that he was ok? She hated to just be sitting back idly in the car and not knowing what was going on. She wanted to be there for Chris, to make sure that he was ok... And that was when she made her decision.

She was going back.

She walked silently back the way she'd come from, and peeked around the corner. Her eyes widened when she saw what was happening.

"And that's what you get for screwing in my business!" Paul yelled, kicking Chris one more time for good measure.

"Fuck you," Chris said, holding his ribs as he rolled a little on the ground. "Stephanie is _my_ business, whether you like it or not."

"You're still talking?" Paul asked, one eyebrow raised. "That's not a very smart move for you." He looked around to see what kind of weapon he could use, and his eyes rested on a car nearby, more specifically on the windshield. "I think I just found a way to make you shut up." He pulled Chris to his feet by his hair. "Get ready to get up close and personal with this windshield..."

"No!" Stephanie yelled, running over to them. She grabbed her husband's arm. "No, Paul, please don't!"

"Why the hell not, Stephanie?" Paul asked. "You're divorcing me, and he's just egging you on. Why not?"

"Because... I care about him, ok? I _love _him!" she exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. "I love him, so you can't hurt him!"

"You _love_ him?" Paul asked incredulously.

"Yes, I love him so much," she confessed, trying hard not to let the tears fall. "If you know anything about true love, Paul... If you care about me at all, then you wouldn't put him through that windshield."

"Well, that just gives me another reason to do it!" Paul said gleefully.

"No!" Stephanie yelled, still holding on to his arm.

"Stephanie, go back to the car!" Chris ordered. "I want you to get in the car and leave..."

"Chris, I can't leave you," she protested, letting the tears fall.

"DO IT!" Chris ordered again, this time speaking very loud although his voice was weak.

"I can't," she whispered.

"Move out of the damn way," Paul said finally, and he shook his arm, flinging her off of him. She stumbled back and fell, and then she could only watch in horror as her husband picked Chris up and threw him head-first through the windshield. He laughed sadistically before turning to look at her. "Now, it's your turn."

"How could you do that, you bastard? I hate you!" she exclaimed, getting up. She was pissed now. She knew that Chris was hurt, and she knew that it was all her fault, but she knew that it was really her husband's fault because he'd been the one to throw Chris through the windshield in the first place.

"You think I care if you hate me?" he asked. "No, I don't. It doesn't matter to me anyway."

"It should," she said, and then she slapped him as hard as she could. His head snapped back and he grunted, which satisfied her a little.

He whipped his head back around to face her. "Bad choice, my _dear _wife," he said, and he grabbed her by the hair. "You think you can slap me and get away with it?"

She didn't know what to say, but she knew that she had to get away from him, so she did the only thing she could think of. She kneed him between his legs.

"Bitch!" he exclaimed, letting her go and groaning in agony. "You little bitch."

She figured that he would be down for a minute or so, so she ran over to the car where Chris was. Somehow, and she didn't know how, but somehow Chris had managed to climb out of the car and was lying on the hood of the car. "Oh God, Chris, there's so much blood!" she whispered, sitting next to him on the hood of the car. "So much blood..."

"I'm going to be ok, Stephanie. Why didn't you just leave like I told you to?" he asked weakly.

"Because I couldn't just leave you behind," she answered. "He's a madman. He's dangerous."

"I don't want you getting hurt," he said, closing his eyes. "Just...just get out of here now, while he can't stop you."

"I can't leave you, Chris. I love you," she whispered. His face was a bloody mess, and she didn't know what else to do as the tears started coming again.

"I love you, too, Steph," he whispered back. "And don't forget that, no matter what happens..."

"Nothing's going to happen," she said, trying to sound strong. "There's an ambulance on its way, and it's going to take you to the hospital." She waited for him to speak again, but he didn't. "Say something," she ordered, but he wouldn't. "Chris, please... Don't leave me," she whispered.

But he didn't move.

"I guess I got the job done, huh?" Paul asked from behind her. "Or, half of it, anyway. I still have to find a way to deal with you."

"Haven't you done enough, Paul?" she cried, turning to look at him with fire in his eyes. "As a matter of fact, you've done _more_ than enough, so why don't you just fucking leave?"

"I don't think so," he said, stepping closer. "But I know this, though. I know-" He stopped talking when he heard the sirens. "You called the ambulance?"

"And the police," she informed him. "So stick around and we'll have a little party. It'll be so fun!" She didn't know where this was coming from, but she was on the edge, and she was very close to just falling off. Chris wasn't responsive and she was in danger, but she wasn't worried about her own safety at that point. It didn't matter. She was just...out of it.

The wailing sirens were getting nearer, and Paul was getting nervous. "You listen here, bitch!" he said, grabbing her forcefully by the hair. "You better not tell the cops who did this to him, or else..."

"Or else _what_? You'll hit me again?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, I'll do you one better," he said, He leaned down, lips brushing against her ear. "I'll kill you both, you _and_ your little protector."

"K-kill us?" she repeated in a shaky voice.

"Yes, kill," he promised, pulling her hair again. "Don't try me, Stephanie... You have no idea what kind of man you're messing with." He heard the sirens again, noticing that they seemed to be right around the corner, and he knew he had to make his escape. He pulled her hair again and brought his lips down on top of hers, kissing her brutally. "Take care, Stephanie," he said sarcastically, before taking off at a run.

"Chris," she whispered, cradling his head in her arms. He was bleeding like crazy, and she was so scared. "You're going to be ok... The ambulance is pulling up..." She knew that he probably couldn't hear her, but she was comforting herself by saying those things... She hugged him to her and closed her eyes, but the tears still leaked out. _God, let him be ok,_ she prayed silently. _He has to be ok_.

_**A few hours later...**_

"Can I see him?" Stephanie asked the first doctor she saw. "Please?"

"Are you his wife?" the doctor asked.

"Sadly, no," Stephanie said, shaking her head.

"Are you immediate family?" the doctor asked.

"I'm as close to him as possible," Stephanie said. "Can you just please let me see him? Please, I just need to see him."

"Fine, you can see him, but he's still unconscious," the doctor said. "Come on and follow me."

"Thank you," Stephanie said gratefully, following the doctor down to the hall to the room Chris was currently in. "So could you kind of tell me how he is before I go in?"

"He lost quite a bit of blood, but he's going to be ok, as soon as he wakes up. He's just unconscious right now," the doctor said. "Believe it or not, all that blood you saw before came from one big gash on his forehead, and he has stitches there now. He'll be a little sore, but other than that, he'll be fine."

"Good," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. The doctor opened the door for her and she stepped inside. She waited until the doctor had closed the door all the way before walking over to the bed where Chris was lying. His forehead was bandaged up, and he had a few scrapes on his face, but other than that he looked ok. "He's going to be ok," she said to herself, breathing another sigh of relief. She walked over to the bed and just stood there, looking down at him.

"Is he ok?" a worried female voice right outside the door a few minutes later.

"He'll be fine," the doctor said. "Would you like to see him?"

"Yes, please. He's my husband," the voice answered, and soon after that the door opened and Chris's wife Jessica stepped into the room. "God, I came as soon as I could. Is he awake?" she asked, walking over to the bed.

"No, he's not awake yet," Stephanie answered.

"It's you," Jessica said, looking at Stephanie when she recognized her voice. "You!"

"Me what?" Stephanie asked, eyebrows raised. There was no way that Chris's wife could actually know what had been going between Chris and Stephanie for the past year or so, so Stephanie was pretty positive that Jessica was talking about the new storyline. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just going to be blunt here. Is there something going on with you and my husband?" Jessica asked, standing up in front of her.

"Chris and I are just friends," Stephanie said, hoping that she sounded sincere. "Why would you think that something was going on with us?"

"Just a feeling I have... A feeling I _had_," Jessica said, apparently reassured by Stephanie's answer. She turned back to Chris and asked, in a much friendlier, concerned tone, "What exactly happened to him?"

"He was thrown through a windshield," Stephanie said, remembering. She would never be able to forget the sight of him being thrown through that windshield. "Head-first."

"Who did it?"

"I... I don't know," Stephanie replied. She wanted to tell her, but she remembered Paul's vow... She wasn't ready to die and she damn sure didn't want Chris to die, either. Therefore, she couldn't tell... She watched as Jessica lightly stroked Chris's face, wishing that she could be the one doing it instead...

"I'm going to go call my parents and let them know that he's going to be ok," Jessica said after a minute. "You're going to stay in here and watch him?"

"He's my friend. I'll be here," Stephanie said, pulling a chair over by the bed.

"Ok," Jessica replied, leaning down to kiss Chris lightly on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

Stephanie waited until Jessica had left before sitting down in the chair and reaching for Chris's hand. "This is all my fault," she whispered, stroking his hand lightly. "None of this would've even happened if I had just listened to you when you told me not to leave with him. I was stupid for believing that all he wanted to do was talk, I was _so_ stupid. And now you're hurt..." Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. "I should've just listened to you..." She looked down, still holding his hand in hers as she thought of all the times she and Chris had spent together, all the things they'd done... He would probably never want to talk to her again since this whole thing was all her fault.

"No, not Stephanie! Take me!" Chris exclaimed suddenly. "Don't hurt her!"

She looked at him and squeezed his hand. "Chris, what are you talking about?"

"He's trying to take Stephanie... I love her, I can't let him take her. He'll kill her!" He started moving around, like he was struggling, fighting something.

"Chris, it's me, Stephanie. I'm right here," she said, standing up and leaning over him. "Open your eyes. You must be dreaming or something..."

His eyes snapped open and he looked at her. "How did you get here?" he asked, apparently surprised.

"I've been here, Chris," she whispered. "I've been here waiting in this hospital since we got here. Do you remember what happened?"

"That bastard husband of yours," he spat. "He threw me through a windshield."

"There was so much blood, Chris," she said softly, touching his face. "I thought I was going to lose you..."

"You're not going to lose me, not ever," he promised, pulling her to him. "I just want to be with you..."

"I want to be with you, too," she whispered. "I don't know what I would've done if you weren't ok right now...if you'd died or something..."

"Of course I wouldn't have died," he whispered back. "And if I had... I would've somehow came back, just to be with you..."

"How can you say these things that are so romantic, lying in a hospital bed?" she asked with a little smile as she looked at him.

"I don't know," he said, smiling back. "But, I _do_ know that a kiss would make me feel a little better."

She grinned at him, then leaned down to kiss him. The kiss, like all kisses they shared, was sweet...passionate. She pulled back a little, her lips about an inch or two away from his. "I love you so much, Chris..."

"I love you, too," he whispered back, then pulled her back down so he could kiss her again.

"So I was right," came a voice from behind them. They broke apart and turned to look at the person standing in the doorway.

"Jessica!" Chris exclaimed, looking guilty. He looked at Stephanie, then back at his wife...

After a whole year of craftily sneaking around, they were...

Caught.

**A/N: This is kind of a long chapter, and I know it skipped around a bit. I think it's getting close to the end, but I haven't exactly figured out how to end it. There's so much I wanted to do with this story, but I just haven't figured out how to do it yet! Also, forgive me for taking so long to update. I know it's been a while... Hope you guys weren't too bored with this chapter, and don't forget to review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**A/N: This chapter is super short, but I couldn't make it longer...it just seemed to drag and drag each time I tried to make it longer, so I said, "F--- it!" and decided to upload it. Maybe this'll get me back into the swing of things... Stupid writer's block... Review or don't review, but the first choice is the best one!**

The silence in the hospital room was loud. That was the only way Stephanie could describe it, and it made no sense to her, but that was the only way she could describe the silence in that room. Chris was just lying there in the hospital bed looking back and forth between her and his wife, and Jessica was just standing there by the door looking at them...

Stephanie decided to be the first one to speak, since it was obvious that no one else was going to. "Jess..."

"_Don't_ call me Jess," Jessica interrupted immediately. "Only my friends call me that and you are no friend of mine."

"Ok, you have a point, we're not exactly friends," Stephanie admitted. "But this...what you just walked in on... It's not what you think."

"What do you mean it's not what I think? I _think_ you were kissing my husband, and he was kissing you back, that's what I _think_," Jessica snapped. "Now you tell me that I'm wrong, go ahead and lie to me."

"Ok, so maybe it _is_ what you think, but it's not... It doesn't mean..." Stephanie's voice trailed off and she wished that Chris would speak up and say something, say anything. She was floundering here like a fish out of water. "It didn't-"

"Now I know," Jessica interrupted, looking knowingly at both Chris and Stephanie, then just at Chris. "I know why you wouldn't come home, why you wouldn't tell me that you love me... It's because of her."

"No, it's not," Stephanie said quickly, standing up next to the bed. "When he woke up just now, he thought I was you, and he told me he loved me, and he called me by your name, not mine." She was lying and she knew it hadn't happened that way at all, but maybe Jessica didn't know that. Maybe..

"I... You expect me to believe that?" Jessica asked. "You really expect me to believe that?"

"Yeah, because it's true," Stephanie said, turning to look at Chris. "Tell her, Chris. Tell her."

Chris looked at Stephanie. "Steph..."

"Tell her!" Stephanie ordered him. "Tell her that you love her and that you don't love me that way, that you love me as a friend and that's it. Tell her that you kissed me because you thought I was her. Tell her that nothing's going on."

Chris sighed, eyes lingering on Stephanie before he looked at his wife. "She's right, honey. I honestly thought that she was you, and so I kissed her because I miss _you_ so much..."

"I don't believe you," Jessica said, shaking her head. "I don't believe either one of you."

"Then how can we convince you?" Stephanie asked desperately.

"Tell me that you don't love him," Jessica replied, looking at Stephanie. "Tell me that you don't have feelings for him and that you don't love him, and maybe, _maybe_, I'll believe you."

Stephanie looked at Chris, at the way he was looking at her. He was lying in a hospital bed, and he was hurting, and it was all her fault. If he hadn't tried to save her, Paul never would've thrown him through the windshield, and he wouldn't be stuck in the hospital bed. It was her fault, she'd been the one to start their whole affair in the first place...

But she loved him, and she knew she wouldn't be able to say otherwise.

"Well?" Jessica persisted. "I'm not convinced yet, so say it."

Chris stared at Stephanie, at this woman he loved with all his heart, and he knew what he had to do. "Steph, you don't have to say it," he spoke up, causing both women to look at him. "We've kept our love a secret for long enough..."

"Chris!" Stephanie exclaimed, looking at Jessica. "Don't-"

"Stephanie, it's ok," Chris said softly, looking at Stephanie. He closed his eyes for a minute, then looked at his wife. "It's time to come clean."

_**At the hotel...**_

Paul stepped into the elevator smiling to himself. It had been so very satisfying to throw Chris through the glass windshield. That wasn't all he was going to do to that bastard if he managed to get his hands on him again...

Just before the doors of the elevator closed, Torrie slipped inside. She and Paul locked eyes, and she felt the anger rush through her. She loved this idiot, and he hadn't come back to her... The doors closed and she walked over to him, peering up into his eyes.

"You didn't come back," she said softly. "Why?"

"You know why," he said shortly, folding his arms across his chest and looking away, breaking eye contact in the process. "You got emotions, you got attached."

"I'm sorry that I fell for you, I'm sorry that I told you," she replied, touching his arm softly. "But I can't help the way that I feel, you know?"

"Whatever, Torrie," he said, looking back at her. "I told you from the very beginning not to get attached to me because I'm married, and what did you do? You told me that you loved me. That's a big thing, Torrie, and a big mistake."

"So it's over between us then?" she asked, looking away.

"Yeah, basically," he answered. "You couldn't handle the whole no-strings-attached aspect of our relationship, so it's over."

She nodded her head, then looked back at him, stepping even closer to him, daring to invade his personal space. "One more time," she said in a low voice. "You and me, my room, one more time and then I'll let you go."

"One more time for what?" he asked, although he already knew what she was going to say. He just wanted to make her say it.

She didn't say anything at first. She just pressed herself against him and started kissing his neck, because she knew that was one of his spots. She ran her hands up under his shirt and over his chest, scraping her nails lightly over his skin and feeling him shiver beneath her touch. Yep, she still had what it took to seduce him... Of course she still had what it took, it wasn't like he'd ended things with her years ago...

"I want you, Paul," she whispered in his ear. "I know you said it's over, but... Well, think of this as a parting gift, because you know I've given you a lot over the time we've been together...and I think it's about time you give me something in return..."

"That's true, you _have_ given me a lot in the time we've been hooking up," he acknowledged, feeling that familiar rush of excitement run through him. _I'll think about the situation with Stephanie and Chris later_, he thought to himself. "I guess we could do this, this one last time, but then we're through. I mean it."

_You think we'll be through_, she thought, smiling to herself as the doors to the elevator opened. She turned and walked out of the elevator, knowing that he would be following close behind her...and he was. If everything went the way she planned for it to go, they would never be through, because she would have something that would bond him to her forever...

Yes, she'd have the last laugh, she'd make sure of it.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**A/N: I know it's been a long time since I updated this story...nearly two years, to be exact! I do apologize for the delay, though, and hope that I can get back on track with this and my other stories sometime soon. Thanks for being so patient with me!**

"That was good, Paul, you're so good," Torrie whispered, cuddling up to him and trying to catch her breath. "Does this really have to be the last time? Won't you miss this?"

"Yeah, I'm going to miss this," Paul admitted, pulling away a little. "But this is your fault, I told you from the beginning that this was to be-"

"No strings attached, I know," she interrupted, sitting up. "So I had a moment of weakness and told you what I felt, so fucking what? It doesn't change the fact that we're terrific in bed together, does it?"

"Well no..."

"You're damned right it doesn't," she went on. "So why should we stop? Why shouldn't we just keep doing what we've been doing for the past year, huh?"

"I already told you, Torrie," he said, sitting up as well. "I already told you."

"This isn't about my feelings for you, is it? This is about _your _feelings," she accused. "You're just scared, you're scared because I said what you're afraid to say, that's it."

"Don't imply that I love you just because I'm fucking you," he said in a dangerous voice. "I could stick my cock in a random woman off the streets, but does that mean I'd love her? Fuck no."

"But think about it, we've been doing this for an entire year, and I've been faithful to you, and besides being with your wife, you've been faithful to me, too!"

"God, do you get how pathetic you sound? Get off of me," he ordered, pushing her a little as he got up and quickly started to get dressed. "Besides, I fucked Trish Stratus, like, a few hours ago, so I haven't been as faithful as you think I have."

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't stutter, did I? I said, I fucked Trish Stratus a few hours ago, and you know what? She was twice as good as you," he bragged as he started to head for the door. "Like I said, this was the last time, and now we're through for good, so don't bother me anymore."

"Oh we're not through, Paul, we'll never be through," she said cryptically. "You'll see."

"Yeah, whatever, thanks for the free ride," he said over his shoulder, before leaving her alone in the room completely. He'd had his fun and now it was time to get back to business...

**At the Hospital...**

"So you're going to lay there and tell me that you're fucking in love with this bitch?" Jessica exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes flashing angrily as she looked back and forth between Chris and Stephanie.

"Jess, it's not that I _don't _love you, I just...things happened between Stephanie and I, and..." Chris's voice trailed off as he looked over at Stephanie. "I couldn't help myself, I just love her, I really love her."

"How long?" Jess demanded. "How long have you been fucking around with her behind my back?" Chris looked away, biting his lip and not speaking.

"Two years," Stephanie said in a whisper when it became apparent that Chris wasn't going to answer the question.

"You keep your filthy mouth shut," Jessica snapped, looking over at Stephanie. "You're such a fucking slut, you knew that he was married! You probably seduced my husband, because there's no way he would've wanted to get involved with an ugly skank like you!"

"She's not a skank, and if you really want to know, _I'm _the one who came on to _her_," Chris clarified.

Jessica's eyes widened at that, like she couldn't believe what he was saying. "Don't lie for her Chris, there's no way you would've-"

"But I did," he interrupted. He could remember so clearly how it had all started with Stephanie, how _he _had started things with her. How could he forget? It was impossible...

_**Two Years Ago **_

_Chris stood in his locker room, gathering up his things. Earlier, he'd had a match with Triple H and surprisingly, he'd won. After the match, he'd hurried backstage to take a shower, and now here he was, getting ready to leave. He was pretty sure that everyone else had probably already left because his match with Paul had been the main event, the last match on the card, and not many people stuck around after they'd done their part on the show._

_There really wasn't any reason to._

_There was a soft knock at his door. "Come in," he called out, not bothering to turn around and see who it was. It could've been anyone, it could've been no one, it didn't matter to him anyway._

_"Chris, hi, I'm glad that I caught you," a voice said. It was a female voice and he knew whose voice that was. He turned around slowly to look at the person who'd just entered his locker room._

_"Stephanie, hey," he greeted her with a smile. "What brings you here?"_

_"I just wanted to congratulate you for your work earlier, that was an excellent match," she said, smiling back at him. "You were really, really good out there."_

_"Thanks, I wouldn't have expected this from you but it's nice to hear."_

_"Why wouldn't you expect it from me?" she asked curiously. "You're obviously talented and I've never been shy about telling you guys how I feel about your performance in the ring."_

_"I know, I just figured you'd be a little upset that I won a match against your husband," he explained._

_"Oh please," she scoffed. "So Paul lost a match, he shouldn't have to win every single match he's put in. That's not the way things work around here."_

_"And here I was thinking that the guy had some pull around here since you're his wife," he replied, leaning against a locker. "I still don't know why I was scheduled to win, but I'm not complaining."_

_"Actually, I suggested that you should get a push," she confessed. "Seems like they listened to me for once."_

_"Wait, so you're behind this?" he asked, wanting to be sure that he'd heard her correctly. She nodded. "But why?"_

_"Because I feel like we haven't been using you to your full potential. You shouldn't be a mid-carder, you're main event material," she said. She turned to leave, but before she left, she turned to give him a smile. "Plus, I'm a _huge_ Jerichoholic, sue me."_

_There was something about her smile that made him smile, too. He watched her as she made her leave without saying another word. He shook his head and grinned, putting his duffle bag on his shoulder and checking to make sure he had everything before leaving the locker room._

_He found himself standing in front of her office just a few minutes later. He didn't even know why he was here, because he'd planned on heading back to his hotel room and calling his wife, maybe ordering some room service, catching a late night flick..._

_The door opened before he could knock, and Stephanie gasped loudly before taking a step back. "Wow, I wasn't expecting for you to be here, I thought you were leaving," she said finally._

_"I was, but then I found myself here and I'm not sure why," he said sheepishly, looking down. "What are you up to tonight?"_

_"Just getting the last of this paperwork finished, then I'm probably going to head to the hotel," she replied._

_He looked past her and into her office. "And your...husband?"_

_"He's already on his way to the next city, we're not traveling together tonight," she answered. "So what's with all the questions?"_

_"Just wanted to make sure I wouldn't get my ass kicked for coming to visit you," he said with a little smile. "There's actually something I wanted to tell you, but not out here in the hallway."_

_"Well come on in," she invited, letting him come inside her office, then shutting the door. She stood there. "So..."_

_"I just wanted to thank you for this opportunity, it means so much to me to know that you believe in my abilities in the ring," he told her. "I mean, here I was thinking that you didn't even notice me but this whole time, you've..."_

_"I've been in your corner this entire time, Chris," she admitted. She went on, her eyes shining brightly. "You're just really talented and you're so entertaining and charismatic, not many people could've verbally sparred with Rocky the way you did when you debuted. I remember sitting backstage being just amazed, I mean I knew that you were supposed to interrupt him but I had no clue what you were going to say and-"_

_She was rambling, and suddenly he had this intense urge to kiss her._

_So he did._

_He dropped his bag to the ground and stepped up to her with an almost predatory look in his eyes. She was still talking, off in her own little world, and she didn't even notice how close he was until his lips were pressing against hers._

_She was too surprised to pull away at first, but eventually she gathered her bearings and put her hands up against his chest, pushing him away. "God, Chris, what the hell are you doing!" she exclaimed, looking at the man in front of her. "I'm married and I know that you're married, too!"_

_"I'm sorry," he said immediately, backing up. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I didn't...I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry. I'll leave."_

_He picked up his bag as she stood there watching him intently. He wouldn't even look at her, wouldn't make eye contact with her because he was so embarrassed of what he'd just done. What had he been thinking? It didn't matter because now she was pissed at him, and now he was probably going to be sentenced to mid-card hell._

_"Um, Chris?" she spoke up softly, as his hand touched the doorknob. He kept his gaze fixed on the doorknob, and she took a step towards him. "It's ok, you can turn around and look at me."_

_He turned to look at her and before he knew it, she was in his arms, kissing him. He reached behind himself and locked the door, before wrapping his arms around her and returning the kiss..._

**Back to the Present... **

"And then what, Chris? You fucked her in her office over the desk?" Jessica interrupted. "Did you even think about the fact that you had a wife at home, and a fucking newborn son?"

"I did, the next day. I never planned to cheat on you, it just happened, and I couldn't control it," Chris said with a sigh. He looked over at Stephanie, his eyes burning into hers. "And God help me, I still can't control it."

"Well you better learn to control it, Chris," Jessica said menacingly. "You'd better end this shit with her right now, or I swear, I'll divorce you and you'll never see Ash again, not ever!"

"You can't take my son away from me!" he exclaimed fearfully. "That's...no, I'd take you to court, there's no way..."

"And what judge would let you have him, once I tell them what you've done? What kind of a role model would you be for our son, what kind of example are you setting?" she spat. "You're a fucking adulterer, that's what you are, you cheated on me!"

"But you can't just take his son from him, that would be cruel," Stephanie interrupted. "He made a mistake, _we _made a mistake, but that doesn't make it right-"

"Don't you tell me what's right or wrong! You want to have morals now, after you've been sleeping with my husband for two _years_?" Jessica practically screamed. "No, bitch, you don't get to have any say-so in this!"

"Quit the name-calling, it's not going to change anything that's happened," Chris said quietly, one hand up to his forehead. His head was throbbing, and it was painful, very painful. He _had _been thrown through a windshield, after all. "Can we please just talk about this later?"

"You're done talking, _we're_ done talking, now let me tell you what you're going to do, Chris," Jessica said in a strangely low voice. "You're going to end things with her. You're not going to see her or be with her again. You're going to come home with me and be a father to your son. _That's _what you're going to do."

"But I-" Chris started, but Stephanie interrupted.

"No, Chris, she's right, that's what you have to do," she said tearfully. "You have to go home and be with your family. I'm not worth losing your son over, we both know this."

"Stephanie, it's not going to be that easy," he said, his voice shaky. "We can't just end this, we can't."

"We can," she whispered, wiping her tears. "I have to get out of here."

"No, don't go!" he pleaded.

"Yes, please go," Jessica said, sneering. She turned to Chris. "See, she knows what's good for her."

Stephanie took one last look at Chris, then hurriedly left the room, in search of a bathroom. She found one and went inside, locking the door behind herself. Then she slid down the wall, wrapping her arms around her knees as she let the tears fall.

She felt like her life was over.


End file.
